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Olachase:Your pathway is actually ideal. You've got hands-on experience first, then adding HND structure on top which most graduates lack. You can reach senior technical roles, management positions, or run your own business. The HND opens institutional doors while your years of practical experience makes you more valuable than fresh graduates. Your only potential ceiling is if you want very high corporate positions requiring a degree, but in technical fields, your combination of experience and HND qualification is genuinely more powerful than a degree alone. |
If you're a young Nigerian sitting for WAEC or JAMB right now, you've probably asked yourself this question at least a hundred times: Should I go to university or learn a trade? Your parents have asked it. Your teachers have definitely asked it. It's become almost a national obsession, this debate between the pen and the hammer, the classroom and the workshop. But here's what I want to tell you straight up: The question itself is flawed. THE PROBLEM WITH EITHER-OR THINKING Neither academic skill nor technical skill is superior on its own. I know this might sound like fence-sitting, but hear me out because it's more nuanced and honestly, more useful than just picking a side. Think about it. In Nigeria today, we have graduates working as tellers in banks while we also have brilliant technicians who can't access certain positions without credentials. We have teachers earning peanuts while some self-taught software developers are making six figures. Meanwhile, engineers without practical experience can't solve real problems on site. What's actually happening? The economy has changed, but our thinking hasn't caught up. Each skill type serves different functions. What actually matters is something much more important than which one you choose: it's how you convert either one into capability, opportunity, and the ability to adapt. UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC SKILL: KNOWLEDGE AND STRUCTURE When I say academic skill, I'm talking about formal education, theory, research, and credential-based learning. This is the university degree. This is the professional certification. This is the structured knowledge you get from textbooks and lectures and research papers. What does academic skill actually do for you? First, it builds your thinking. When you're doing university coursework, you're learning how to think systematically, how to analyze problems from multiple angles, how to construct arguments. That structured thinking becomes part of how you approach everything, not just academics. Second, there's the matter of credentials. Certificates and degrees matter in Nigeria. They open specific doors. If you want to be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer with a professional license? You need that qualification. These aren't just pieces of paper. They're gatekeepers to entire sectors of the economy. Government jobs, international NGOs, corporate management tracks, banking, telecommunications. Most of these require academic qualifications. Third, academic training develops your research foundation. You learn how to find information, verify it, think critically about data. This matters more than you might think, especially in a world where misinformation spreads like harmattan wind. But let's be honest about the limitations too. Academic skills take time to convert into income. Years and years, sometimes. You spend four years at university, come out, and then you're competing with thousands of other graduates for entry-level positions. The knowledge you gained is valuable, but it's abstract. It hasn't solved anyone's immediate problem yet. That translates to slow financial returns. There's also this problem: universities teach theory, often disconnected from what the market actually needs right now. By the time you graduate in computer science, the programming language you learned extensively might be aging out. The business frameworks you studied might not match the Nigerian business environment. You're learning solutions to problems that might not exist anymore by the time you get to solve them. And let's face it, academic skill depends heavily on institutions and systems. If the system fails you, if the economy collapses, if there's no job available for your qualification, what then? You've invested years and money in something that the market can't currently absorb. UNDERSTANDING TECHNICAL SKILL: EXECUTION AND APPLIED ABILITY Technical skill is different. This is hands-on ability. Building things. Fixing things. Writing code that actually works. Designing systems that function. Repairing equipment. Creating value you can touch and test immediately. When you learn a technical skill, you're not learning theory. You're learning what works. A plumber knows how to fix pipes. A software developer can build an application. A graphics designer can create materials that clients pay for. An electrician knows how to wire a house safely. The immediate advantage? Technical skill converts to income quickly. Faster than almost any academic qualification. You learn a skill, you apply it, someone pays you for solving their problem. This is why you see teenagers making money from freelancing platforms. This is why welders are in such high demand in Lagos. Technical skills also enable entrepreneurship. You don't need permission from anybody to start a business with technical ability. You don't need credentials or licenses to start offering services in many technical fields. You find customers who have problems, you solve their problems, they pay you. Direct connection between skill and survival. There's remarkable adaptability here too. The market shifts? Technical people shift with it. A developer learns new languages. A builder learns new materials and methods. The core problem-solving ability remains the same, so you can move between different applications of your skills relatively easily. Industries like ICT, energy, construction, agriculture, and manufacturing are crying for technical people right now in Nigeria. The demand is enormous, and it's growing. But technical skill has its own ceiling, so to speak. Without formal credentials or structure, it's hard to gain institutional acceptance. You can be the best craftsman in your community, but if you want to work for a major corporation or multinational, that lack of formal qualification becomes a barrier. Many companies have minimum education requirements they won't bend on, even if you can do the job better than their university-educated employees. Technical skill can also plateau. Without deeper theoretical knowledge, you might find yourself stuck doing the same thing the same way for decades. You lack the framework to innovate, to understand why things work, to adapt to fundamental shifts in your field. You're executing, but you're not thinking strategically. Scaling is genuinely difficult without communication and management skills. If you want to move beyond doing hands-on work yourself, if you want to build a company or teach others, you need soft skills. The technical ability alone isn't enough. THE MISSING CONVERSATION: SKILL CONVERSION Here's what nobody talks about enough. Having a skill, any skill, is just the starting point. What matters is converting that skill into actual value. In most developing economies, including Nigeria, success increasingly depends on skill conversion into value. Not just knowledge. Not just ability. But the ability to convert either one into something the market will reward. Think about this carefully. You can have a degree and be unemployable because you can't communicate or solve actual problems. You can have technical skill and earn minimum wage because you're not positioned properly or you can't scale. The skill itself isn't enough. What matters is this combination: Are you solving a real problem that people actually have? Can you charge money for it or create income from it? Can your impact extend beyond just your own hands? Can you deliver consistently and reliably? Can you evolve as technologies and markets change? This is what I call skill conversion. It's the bridge between having ability and actually creating opportunity. The real hierarchy, if you want to think about success, looks like this: Applied skill combined with problem solving ability combined with consistency beats someone with only academic skill or only technical skill. Every single time. THE BALANCED APPROACH: WHY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO BOTH Here's something interesting I've noticed. The people who actually succeed long term, across industries, across Nigeria and beyond, they don't choose. They do both. The successful entrepreneur often has a technical skill but also business education. The respected engineer has formal qualifications but also hands-on site experience. The consultant has academic credentials but also years of practical problem solving. The teacher has teaching qualifications but also keeps learning and developing new skills. Why? Because academic skills provide foundation, credibility, and the mental framework for growth. Technical skills provide execution power, immediate value, and income. You need both to build something that lasts. Think about it this way. If you only have theory and no practical ability, you're a dreamer who can't build anything. If you only have practical ability with no theoretical framework, you're limited in how far you can scale or innovate. But if you have both? You can think deeply, execute excellently, and solve real problems. That combination is rare. That combination is valuable. The academic training gives you discipline. It teaches you how to learn systematically. It provides credentials that unlock institutional doors. It builds the mental habits that help you think through complex problems. The technical training gives you immediate credibility in markets. It creates income while you're building everything else. It keeps you grounded in reality. It makes sure you don't just theorize but actually deliver results. Together, they create something neither one alone can create: long term success, influence, and the ability to lead, teach, and scale impact beyond yourself. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN NIGERIA TODAY If you're sitting for exams right now or you're starting your career, what should you actually do? First, build your academic foundation. This doesn't necessarily mean university, though for some fields it does. But it means discipline in learning, developing literacy (the real kind, not just reading words), and building reasoning skills. This provides the mental framework for everything that comes after. Second, choose a specific technical competence. Something marketable. Something people actually want to pay for. Learn it well. Focus on execution. Make sure you can actually do the thing, not just talk about it. Third, deliberately work on soft skills. Learn to communicate. Understand basic business principles. Develop leadership ability. These skills amplify everything else you can do. Fourth, stay focused on real problems. Don't just pick skills arbitrarily. Look around your community, your market, your potential customers. What are they struggling with? What can you help solve? Alignment between your skills and real human problems is where value emerges. And here's the part people often miss: Start monetizing early. Don't wait until you're perfect. Don't wait until you have everything figured out. Make money from your skills as you're developing them. Iterate and improve based on what the market tells you, not what theory says. A PRINCIPLE AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION The most successful people throughout history weren't defined by certificates alone. They weren't just raw talent either. They were defined by mastery of a craft that served a real need. The master builder. The skilled craftsman. The learned teacher. The competent doctor. The brilliant engineer. What united all of them? Skill became powerful only when it was useful to others. Think about that. Really think about it. This principle doesn't change whether you're in Lagos, London, or Silicon Valley. It's as true in 2024 as it was in 1924. Skill is only powerful when it's useful to others. When it solves problems people care about. When it creates value that markets reward. So many young Nigerians are learning skills that nobody needs. Or they're getting qualifications that don't translate to anything useful. That's the real waste. Not the choice between academic or technical. The waste is learning something nobody wants. But when you align skill with real problems? When you develop the ability to execute? When you gain the credentials to access opportunities? When you combine knowledge with action? That's when things actually start moving. YOUR PATH FORWARD Here's what the evidence shows. The safest starting point for most young people today is this: Start with technical skill. Get good at something practical that solves problems. Generate income. Gain credibility in the market. Then reinforce that with academic discipline. Keep learning. Get certifications if they help. Build the theoretical framework that lets you scale beyond just doing the work yourself. Build the credentials that let you access larger opportunities. And grow both together from that point. The initial security of income and market feedback will help you sustain yourself while you build deeper knowledge. The deep knowledge will help you scale and innovate beyond what raw technique alone can achieve. This path works differently for different people. If you're naturally suited to academia, you might start with university, then ensure you get practical experience during school and after. If you're more practically minded, you might start with apprenticeship or technical training, then layer on formal education as you go. But the principle remains: Don't choose between these. Find the sequence that works for you, then do both. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE BALANCED The economy of the future, in Nigeria and globally, will be shaped by people who can do three things simultaneously. They can think deeply. They can execute excellently. And they can solve real problems that actual people will pay to have solved. That's the convergence of academic and technical skill. That's not either-or. That's both-and. You don't have to choose. Actually, if you want to build something that lasts, you can't choose. You have to do both. The question isn't academic versus technical. The real question is: How will you develop both in a way that actually creates opportunity in your life? That's the question worth asking. And honestly, that's the one that will determine how far you actually go. What's your experience? Are you purely academic, purely technical, or are you trying to balance both? Share your story in the comments below. Let's have this conversation properly. |
Why sudden drop in gas supply? Is it that we are no longer producing enough? |
Always recite this every morning!! A Personal Manifesto on Living I accept that the greatest questions of existence may never be answered with certainty. Why we are here and what our ultimate purpose is remain unresolved, not for lack of thought, but because reality does not owe us explanations. I reject borrowed meanings that demand belief without evidence. I choose clarity over comfort, questioning over submission, and awareness over illusion. This world, as it stands, is my only assured home. Therefore, I treat life itself as my heaven—not postponed, not promised elsewhere, but lived here and now. Since tomorrow is not guaranteed and never a right, I commit to living consciously. I will create, experience, and remember. I will measure my life not by accumulation, but by depth. I choose contentment over greed, knowing that excess corrodes peace. I guard my happiness carefully, because it is fragile and easily surrendered. I stay busy with purpose, avoiding idle minds and reckless followership. I question everything—authority, tradition, belief, and myself—because unexamined acceptance is a quiet form of surrender. I choose my companions wisely, valuing intelligence in its many forms, honesty of thought, and independence of mind. If meaning is not given, then dignity lies in how deliberately I live. If the universe is silent, then my response is to live fully, clearly, and without apology. |
Nazgul:. You can also try Manus.im |
Nazgul:You're right. Writing code from scratch is complete waste of time now. What you need now is having basic knowledge, from there start using AI. Ive built complex Arduino projects by using chatgpt. Knowing how to use ai now is the new skill needed now. But how do you use Claude without limitations of few prompts |
sreamsense:.The google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin didn't finished their Phd. They both left the program when it seems they have better opportunities then. To be sincere many who found themselves in academic are only there because there are no other choices. To be really successful and rich in life one need to find his or her own path not through paid employment. |
oxygenlove:Just pray you don't experience this? You will know kaki no be leather. These people are brutal just like all those fraudster that enjoy creating pains in others |
Across Nigeria today, a growing number of young people are beginning to question the value of university education. Slangs such as “education is a scam” are becoming increasingly popular in both online and offline conversations. This sentiment is often driven by the stark disconnect between academic qualifications and real-world practical demands, particularly in a country grappling with high unemployment and economic instability. A recent viral video on TikTok captured this frustration vividly. In the video, a student stood in front of a university building labeled Faculty of Engineering, lamenting that the faculty’s generator was faulty and had remained unrepaired. What stood out was the student’s anger that, despite the presence of professors of Mechanical Engineering in the department, no one had fixed the generator. This was presented as evidence that formal education, particularly in engineering, is of no practical value. While this frustration is emotionally valid and understandable, it reveals a widespread misunderstanding of the nature and scope of academic education. A university is not a technical workshop, and professors or lecturers are not meant to function as artisans. The core role of a tertiary institution is to train thinkers, researchers, designers, and innovators, not mechanics or electricians. Professors of Mechanical Engineering are experts in areas such as thermodynamics, system optimization, and machine mechanics. Their work revolves around developing models, teaching principles, and conducting research, not repairing faulty generators. Expecting a professor to fix a generator is akin to expecting a medical professor to perform manual labour in a clinic or a civil engineering professor to lay bricks. These professionals understand the science behind such tasks better than most, but their responsibilities differ significantly from those of field technicians. This is why universities employ technologists, artisans, and technical support staff to manage infrastructure-related issues. That said, the disconnection that many students feel cannot be dismissed. Numerous graduates enter the labour market with hope and ambition, only to encounter limited opportunities, delayed job placements, or outright unemployment. This often leads to disillusionment and resentment. However, instead of blaming the idea of education itself, we must examine the root causes: outdated curricula, limited hands-on training, poor synergy between academia and industry, and an economy that struggles to absorb its growing workforce. It is also important to remember that innovation often begins in academia. Many of the technologies we enjoy today, such as artificial intelligence, smartphones, and computer software, were made possible through academic research. For instance, ChatGPT is based on a model called the Transformer, introduced in a 2017 research paper titled “Attention is All You Need” by researchers at Google. Though commercialized by industry, its roots are deeply academic. So, before you undermine the role of your professors or lecturers, remember that they are often the ones who formulate the very theories that drive the tools, devices, and platforms you use daily. This illustrates a critical truth: while industry may build the final products, it is academic institutions that often supply the ideas, breakthroughs, and foundational principles that make those innovations possible. This leads to a vital question: Who should take responsibility? While reforms in education are necessary, personal responsibility is even more critical. Students must begin to view education not as an end, but as a means, a platform to launch their development. In today’s world, success is not determined solely by academic performance, but by the ability to combine academic knowledge with vocational or entrepreneurial skills. For instance, a mechanical engineering student frustrated about a broken generator should ask: “Have I learned practical skills beyond the classroom? Have I sought real-world applications for what I’ve been taught?” In truth, no graduate anywhere in the world finishes school as a fully formed expert. Universities provide the foundation; real expertise comes through continuous practice and experience. Take Electrical and Electronic Engineering, for example. Students are introduced to foundation concepts that can aid in learning solar installation, electrical wiring, and machine winding etc. Yet, due to limited time and the breadth of the curriculum, students are not expected to become specialists in every area before graduation. Although the curriculum touches on many of these areas, it is often impossible for students to gain deep proficiency in all of them due to time constraints, the breadth of academic content, and limited practical exposure. Ironically, if someone were to go and learn electrical wiring at a roadside workshop or training centre, it would typically take an average of three years to become proficient and confident enough to work independently. Yet, in Nigeria, we often expect university or polytechnic graduates to become “instant experts” in four or five years, while covering ten times more subjects ranging from mathematics and control systems to communications and digital electronics. This is why students must adopt a hybrid approach. Learn a trade. Gain hands-on experience. Engage in internships, private apprenticeships, online training, and entrepreneurship. Broaden your scope beyond the classroom. That is how true competence is built. Ultimately, your lecturers and professors are not responsible for your personal success. They are there to teach, mentor, and guide, but it is your responsibility to apply what you have learned, to innovate, and to make yourself relevant to society. Blaming the educational system or its personnel for one’s lack of initiative is often a sign of laziness or misplaced priorities. In conclusion, the viral TikTok video may seem humorous at first, but it reflects a deep misunderstanding of how education works. Education is not a scam. It is a tool, a means to an end. If the system has limitations, bridge the gap with your effort. If opportunities are limited, create your own. Learn, adapt, evolve, and grow. Remember: It is not what you are taught that determines your success, but what you choose to do with what you’ve been taught. Your future is not in the hands of your professors, it is in yours. Take charge of it. |
Sirleo05:Even though Dangote Refinery has been refining crude oil here in Nigeria, we’re not yet out of the woods when it comes to fuel prices. The refinery is still ramping up and hasn’t fully met the country’s demand for petrol and other products. That means we still rely partly on imported refined fuel. Also, crude oil prices are set on the global market. So when there’s a conflict or disruption elsewhere in the world, like a war,it can push up prices everywhere, including Nigeria. To make matters worse, we still trade heavily in dollars, and with the naira being weak, it makes everything, from importing fuel to running refineries,more expensive. Until we’re able to meet our fuel needs locally and stabilize our currency, global events will continue to affect what we pay at the pump, no matter where the refinery is located. |
CoronaVirusPro:They just dish out lies because they are not real landlord. Most landlords knows where it pains.Residential houses are not profitable business only use to tie money down for future. I and my sisters inherited 4 bedrooms flat after our father demise over 20years ago, till now is still one maintenance one after the other , tenant s don't even pay on time, story upon story. If not for commercial like renting it to churches or any other businesses forget about it , you're just helping humanity by doing charity for tenant. I'm even regretting building two flats for my family, with the purpose of renting one out to tenant but just locked it up because of wahala from tenant |
AI will transform every sector from manufacturing to teaching but if not regulated humanity will soon experience advanced calamity from human misuse. History shows that every great advancement from nuclear energy, the internet, even electricity needed moral, legal, and social frameworks. AI should be no exception. Nigeria Government need to sit tight to formulate laws against misuse |
The moderator suppose to ban all those promoter of ponzi like scheme on nairaland. Many life savings must have been lost. Nairaland moderator should try to sanitize this platform so that innocent people won't be falling for all these schemes being promoted here |
DIVINEEVIDENCE:Just a simple solar IP camera would have solved this mysteries. I don't know why we Nigerians don't apply simple technology where necessary |
Hmmmmm2024:So, the victim was groomed to become a thief? You're still young and inexperienced. In today's Nigeria, just pray you don’t find yourself in an unforeseen situation—you’ll realize the police often don’t care whether you’re innocent or not. |
Hmmmmm2024:We're you there when he stole the chicken with Dane gun. Oloruburuku somebody. I pray you experience what this boy have experienced in life. Anyone who had never experienced failed judiciary system will talk as if things are normal here. Nigeria judiciary is a complete failed system with high level of corruption. Most of those judges are criminals and most are even worse than our politicians |
Goodlyhrt:Anything investment in Nigeria through any acclaimed partnership or any other thing will end as a scam. Don't believe in any partnership with any Nigerian, I won't mention black since I've never been to any other black dominated country. Even the so called religious leader are out there to better their life not in the interest of those they claim to guide for heavenly blessings. Deeper life is a cultist organisation. I won't say more than this. Nigeria is a cursed country, where all kinds of evil are perpetrated without any conscience or severe punishment so if you have any business idea, develop it by yourself else Nigerians will eventually reap you off. |
stagger:Eat lizard, rat, frog kee. Are you cursing Nigerians? Nigerians are passing through tough time in the history of Nigeria , so don't put more curse on them ![]() |
[quote author=abbati19 post=133015444][/quote]The terms "lack of culture of maintenance" and "culture of lack of maintenance" both highlight issues related to maintenance practices in Nigeria, but they differ in focus and implications. Here's an explanation and differentiation: 1. Lack of Culture of Maintenance This phrase refers to a systemic absence of maintenance as a regular and ingrained practice in society. It implies that maintenance is not part of the norm or value system, and there is no structured approach to ensuring the longevity of infrastructure, machinery, or systems. Key Characteristics: Systemic Neglect: Maintenance is not prioritized in policies or practices. Planning Failure: Maintenance activities are not planned or budgeted for, leading to reactive rather than proactive maintenance. Cultural Gap: People do not see maintenance as essential, often waiting for complete breakdowns before taking action. Example: Roads, public buildings, and utilities in Nigeria often fall into disrepair due to a lack of regular maintenance culture. 2. Culture of Lack of Maintenance This phrase goes a step further, suggesting that the absence of maintenance is a habitual or entrenched norm. It implies a deeper societal acceptance or tolerance for poor maintenance practices as a way of life. Key Characteristics: Entrenched Behavior: The failure to maintain is normalized and perpetuated across generations. Resistance to Change: Efforts to introduce a maintenance culture face societal or institutional resistance because people are accustomed to living with dilapidation. Blame and Excuses: There is often an attitude of deflecting responsibility, leading to continued neglect. Example: Public institutions that consistently ignore broken facilities or equipment, treating the dysfunction as "normal." |
harizonal123:Try federal housing . Hotel there are cheap . Try Richie guest inn, lugbe . It's inside federal housing . You can call 09064028394. That's the place I lodged when I went for the coren exam in August. I paid 15k . Please do your investigation very well before you book their hotel room. I'm not recommending them but they have a nice room and was treated well then |
ENGANI:There are two sections in the exam, Section A. Question on Engineer in the society which is compulsory for everybody. For the exam we were asked to Explain and differentiate between lack of culture of maintenance and culture of lack of maintenance in Nigeria. Section B. Three Questions to test knowledge of 1. Electrical knowledge 2. Electronics knowledge 3. Computer Engineering knowledge You will pick anyone you like I picked the one on electronic. The Questions are 1. What are Rectifiers 2.Explain and mention different types of rectifiers 3. And one other question which I can't remember Oral defence You will present your certified binded project writeup. There is mark for 1. Dressing 2. Current affairs 3. Follow coren writeup format, marks will be awarded based on what they want like safety standard, Bills of Engineering Materials(BEM )etc 3 Questions will be asked based on what you presented in the write up. Like where do you work. What's your duties, roles etc Don't present voluminous project writeup like PhD thesis o. Just present a writeup up to 10- 30 pages. Those that will register as Electrical Engineer, Electronic Engineer and Computer Engineer will write the same exam. The questions are generally basic ,not difficult not too technical or theoretical. No mobile phone will be allowed in the exam center Exam started at exactly 9:00, after registration Oral interview start immediately after written test .The atmosphere is cool and no one will fail anybody if you follow their instructions. The interviewers are generally friendly. Ensure your project write up is endorsed (with seal) by two coren registered engineer. even those not in your field can endorsed it |
Tex42:I also use jpg format and the my registration had been approved. |
EngrMaks:No issue, if thats how you want it |
kellexnuel:COREN expect first name, middle name and surname. We were corrected to use that format during P.I |
Tex42:Yes |
Tex42:Did you receive remita receipt in your email? If yes the method will surely work! |
Tex42:I don't think it matters, once your face are visible. You can use the one you use for your application |
dhuphe:Sign in to COREN portal Then go to generic payment At lower part click confirm previous payment or print payment received Then a window will show your past payment transactions , unsuccessful once and successful one Just start clicking each of the get status, the one successful will activate the portal registration payment
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dhuphe:The issue had been resolved. The error occured if you refreshed while paying on remita platform. I'm able to upload the two documents now. If you're interested in solving this issue let me know. |
