Deputy Gov to students: Skills more valuable than certificates

Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has pointed out that employers are now more concerned with practical skills, team work and good communication as well as emotional intelligence.

Dr Balarabe made this known in a keynote address at the Career Readiness Workshop, organized by the Centre for Mentorship and Career Development of Kaduna State University (KASU) on Thursday.

The Deputy Governor advised Nigerian graduates to engage in continuous learning as personal skills and knowledge are now more valuable than certificates.

Speaking under the theme, “Life After Graduation: Navigating Challenges, Exploring Career Opportunities, and Building a Path to Success”, she argued that “today’s workplace demands that you understand digital tools and platforms.”

“In a world where Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and online collaboration are changing everything, digital competence is no longer optional – it is essential,” she added.

Speaking to the audience which consisted of students, lecturers and non-academic staff, she also said that education is meant to open the mind, to make one a critical thinker, a problem solver, and a smart navigator of the opportunities and challenges that life presents.

According to Dr Balarabe, education strengthens one to think on one’s feet, to adapt to different circumstances and gives room for innovation that sets one apart.

The Deputy Governor lamented the threatening uncertainties that many Nigerian graduates face in the labour market, stating that graduates in Medicine and Surgery are more secure as “there is a critical shortfall of doctors in our healthcare system”.

Quoting the President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Professor Bala Audu, she said that he reportedly said “Nigeria’s doctor-patient ratio is approximately 1,000 per cent below the WHO recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients.”

Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of KASU, Professor Abdullahi I. Musa stated that the university is a competitive institution whose standard is comparable to any other university in Nigeria.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Professor Mohammed Sani Bello, also said that KASU is doing so well that it is leading other universities in several disciplines.

He said that having a Centre for Career Development is one of such areas that KASU has excelled in, adding that the centre will provide good guidance to the students.

The Star