In Nigeria, it’s difficult to detect who to hire for a position that has to do with computing of any sort. Unless the person has a CV that proved that he has successfully worked in similar position in the past. Everyone seems to think that there’s a lack of qualified ICT professionals, and that the reason is that there aren’t enough people entering the field with the required skills. There is a fallacy behind that thinking, though. People think that ICT is a stand-alone discipline, but it is actually a discipline within the computer field. Treating it otherwise is a mistake.
Most of the people, who have been in the IT profession for more than a decade, including me, entered the field without a degree. We might have certifications, but we don’t claim that those certs are the source of any expertise we may have. We believe in the solutions that lay beneath our brains. So sad that most Nigerian youth who are talented in ICT has resorted to illegal activities using computer because they couldn’t get a job without certifications.
My own experience is not atypical. In all of my years of working, as an employee or contractor, for Systems Noah, Pintojet, Greenmils, Haventry, Great Grace, KloeTech and other creative agencies, I never performed specifically what would be considered as computer work.
In fact, I didn’t even start out in the computer field at Systems Noah. I was a web developer who hated his job, so a friend introduced me to one computer systems intern program. In those days at Systems Noah, I couldn’t find enough programmers as I expected, and so it created an avenue for me to develop my instincts myself. Although I later became known as a creative professional, I was never given any specific IT training. Instead, I had years of on-the-job and formal training in good technical and operational practices. My later success in web app development, cloud computing and system maintenance was mostly built on detecting the absence of good practices.
So sad, in Nigeria, you would think that organizations would realize this, since they apparently pass over people with computer degrees all the time. I’ve spoken to dozens of people with computer degrees who can’t get hired because they don’t have the technical skills and abilities required for low-level positions. But bad as it is that computer degrees are not technical enough for entry-level security positions, they also are usually not technical enough for any entry-level positions in the computer field. It has almost become a norm that you don’t get hired in a technology job in Nigeria if you don’t have any computer degree which is far different from what is obtainable in western countries, especially in public service.
In any case, IT positions are not entry-level positions, and if you treat them as such, you will have terrible technological turnaround. The best IT practitioners have experience in the technology and processes that they are supposed to develop. The earlier we realize this in Nigeria, the better for us. One thing is that; If you are not an experienced developer, you do not have the standing to tell people how to secure the code they write. If you have no experience as a system administrator, you cannot maintain the security of a system. If you have no experience as an administrator, you cannot secure a database. If you have no experience in designing a network, you cannot competently design a secure network.
IT professionals are developed over time, just as it happens with experts in every profession, including all of the other disciplines within the computer profession: You are assigned a position that is consistent with your skill level, learn on the job and receive appropriate training. It is that simple. You can “create” an IT professional by finding someone with the required minimum skills — usually a computer professional with experience — and then having them learn the specific industry skills required through on-the-job training, mentorship and formal training.
The approach that seems to prevail these days — seeking a new hire who already has the right skills and experience or hiring them away from another organization — just doesn’t work. But it is why so many people believe there is a shortage of security professionals.
I can promise you that a competent computer professional with five years of experience will be more effective than a new graduate with a computer degree. I’m not saying that training, including computer science degrees and certifications are without value, but they rarely are a match for hands-on work experience. If we should have this type of mindset in Nigeria, to hire people based on their skill set and abilities and not by the paper they carry, we are likely to save loss of time taken to hire them, salary wasted on them if they were employed and the disappointments that follows.
One of the approaches to fix this type of situation is for organizations to look internally for skilled computer professionals who, despite having no stated experience in IT, can quickly adapt to technological routes. Those people do exist, and their real-world experience goes a lot further than any number of certifications or degrees to organizations where they find their selves.
Sure, it would be great to have lots of people with the necessary computer skills clamoring to fill tech positions. But unless you have a program to identify competent professionals within your organization and offer them jobs and training that will arm them with tech expertise, you are creating your own technology skills shortage. Don’t moan and groan that these people do not exist when your organization is just too cheap or narrow-minded to look internally and offer training.
Left for me, it’s about high time we forget about finding people with computer degrees. Forget about hiring people who are computer theorists. Look for the people with a willingness to expand their skill set. I guarantee that the resource skills bank of Nigeria will increase, foster our technological growth, advance our economy and create way for investors to maximize our potentials.

But if I try to make it do are doing a day I do but buhari loading a dude please help

Fact

Pple nid ICT training nd nt all dos road side computer operators dat doesn't even knw were "caplock" or "tab" is.



I love ur writeup op

hmmm...nice one bro

ICT...making brain since 1900

I totally agree with the write up

Nice piece op

Ur head is there

It's a pity that throughout my years in sch, No skill was imparted by the School itself, you have to go extra miles to get it on your own. Though there are work experience program set aside by the sch, To get placement in the hungry monster ICT firm is another Issue, they are not willing to accept you without paying them. ICT is not taken serious as Medicine in our schools. Practicals are really taken serious for medical students, they practice with dead bodies, they are enrolled in the teaching hospital, they go for housemanship, All this before NYSC.

walexsho:
It's a pity that throughout my years in sch, No skill was imparted by the School itself, you have to go extra miles to get it on your own. Though there are work experience program set aside by the sch, To get placement in the hungry monster ICT firm is another Issue, they are not willing to accept you without paying them. ICT is not taken serious as Medicine in our schools. Practicals are really taken serious for medical students, they practice with dead bodies, they are enrolled in the teaching hospital, they go for housemanship, All this before NYSC.

Wch skool b dat ?

This is what Lagos just discovered and they partner with andela to train people who can think criticality without computer science background to become software developers which I am part of them and we are catching up real fast thanks to Lagos open Andela

So true

After a computer science graduate in a government ministry called me to install Antivirus for him, I knew something was very wrong about looking for certificates when employing ICT personnel.

I would prefer a self developed professional in any computer branch than a degree graduate any time

BTW, Nigeria Police should be trained to know that someone can make legitimate money online

Me dnt undastand wat u mean by IT not being entry level. Depends on d position. Cos daz y u av junior developer, IT support, blah blah

would really like learning computer programing.. please any advise for me

Studying any computing related course in the university is a complete waste of time in these era. Instead of wasting your time in the university with lecturers that as lmited experience in ICT why not subscribe to Lynda or tutplus to acquire ICT skills from professionals in the field.
In one to two years time you will be better off than someone with a master degree in ICT.

you're on point, most Nigerian firms are too rigid or creatively lazy to re-structure their system, if it's working for b-tech, why should we at c-tech do something different. that's by the way tho, please which of the it skills are more scarce and indemand right now, thanks.

Real talk.

Olukokosir:
Pple nid ICT training nd nt all dos road side computer operators dat doesn't even knw were "caplock" or "tab" is.



I love ur writeup op

mind u.It is not all IT degree that required technical skills, many people failed to understand the difference between professional cert and a degree. A professional holder of any certification must have the technical skills to that, and a degree cert should know and understand the operation and solution to apply in solving the IT problem. Only the system analyst or programmers are required to have thos skills, u may have the technical skills but doesn't know how the system operate or how that system can support the operational value of an org, or how the management of the org can utilize information in decision making and intergrate it into technological advance sytem. There is a lot, need, and value to a degree holder than only those with technical experience. U may develop a system that that has no value to a user but with the help of a degree holder guidng you,it shall goes well.IT is a very wide course with so much branches. Pls get it right man.

dicksonadams:
But if I try to make it do are doing a day I do but buhari loading a dude please help

like seriously, you need help.

fantastic writeup Op, but mind you there are also talented people out there with the certificate and degree out there too and still cant get jobs because of the high competition.
what can be the solution, i believe that they should focus on independent work that can help spread the word about how good they are, if they are that good.

Jetty Jet... Nna jisi ike.

The more u get yrsf busy with IT stuff the better u bcom. Our higher institutns dnt create such avenue for student. Passing thru a higher institution to some extent refines one's xter. Thts why Organisations hiring shld learn how to retrain d freshers to their own standard. Even if you go out to pay for training, in most cases u dnt learn much because they're all afta yr cash...besides, if afta training/certificatn & u dnt find a related job, those skills just fades away!


On d side of not being thru d higher institution, & got IT skills, try & use the little cash u'r are making to enrol for a course in a higher institution.

Hey Bro!

I am a graduate of computer science and very good with windows programming(visual studio IDE), infact that I boast of. Everything I know today was self motivated and trust me, I am still learning, but the sad news is, I got no job.

Pls can I reach/PM you? I have some questions I will like you to help me with. Thanks for the nice post. Pls kindly quote me

Well said

igorekpengmail:
Hey Bro!

I am a graduate of computer science and very good with windows programming(visual studio IDE), infact that I boast of. Everything I know today was self motivated and trust me, I am still learning, but the sad news is, I got no job.

similar experience here, i have been programming since after leaving secondary school, then it was vb6,but the lack of a clear cut employment market for programmers have made me to loose interest in the field.experience have taught me not to take computer science graduates serious.

Jetworlder:
I can promise you that a competent computer professional with five years of experience will be more effective than a new graduate with a computer degree. I’m not saying that training, including computer science degrees and certifications are without value, but they rarely are a match for hands-on work experience. If we should have this type of mindset in Nigeria, to hire people based on their skill set and abilities and not by the paper they carry, we are likely to save loss of time taken to hire them, salary wasted on them if they were employed and the disappointments that follows.

This happens only in Nigerian universities... In other countries, computer science undergraduates learn most of the technical work in school.

salissmg:
mind u.It is not all IT degree that required technical skills, many people failed to understand the difference between professional cert and a degree. A professional holder of any certification must have the technical skills to that, and a degree cert should know and understand the operation and solution to apply in solving the IT problem. Only the system analyst or programmers are required to have thos skills, u may have the technical skills but doesn't know how the system operate or how that system can support the operational value of an org, or how the management of the org can utilize information in decision making and intergrate it into technological advance sytem. There is a lot, need, and value to a degree holder than only those with technical experience. U may develop a system that that has no value to a user but with the help of a degree holder guidng you,it shall goes well.IT is a very wide course with so much branches. Pls get it right man.

Degree holders in other countries that take education serious have "all round" of IT.

Seriously this is a smear to computer science course.
This can never help the situation because in US degree will always rank higher.

The solution is to incorporate more project development in the school curriculum for our computer science students as they do with theories.....

I believe school will only teach you the concept and the fundamentals is left for you to be seruous and build on it... that's the first rule.

Bro I'm a fresh computer science graduate of unizik with no other certificate but I trust myself I have more knowledge in this field but less experience except my lab practices. But I'm of course ready to work and gain experience after I've gotten my nysc cert.

And I know there are computer science degree holders who have upgraded their skills, earned more experience and can beat you to a standstill.

Degree rules bro...

Imagine a degree holder with that certificate of yours... what happens then??

I totally agree with you OP. I started out as a rookie who studied computer science. Even though i knew a bit about databases back then in school, all the experience i have had came through first hand experience in the workplace. I'm currently writing certification exams to complement my experience and that is the way things should be done in the IT sector in Nigeria.