₦airaland Forum

Once upon a time in Lagos, a university degree was the golden ticket to success. Parents prayed, saved, and sacrificed just to see their children graduate. But today, the hustle has taken a new shape — and the classroom isn’t the main stage anymore. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

The Tech Takeover
From coding to UI/UX design, product management, and digital marketing, Lagos youths are chasing skills that guarantee immediate opportunities rather than certificates that may not secure jobs. The rise of tech hubs in Yaba, Lekki, and Ikeja is proof that the city has become Nigeria’s Silicon Valley.

The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to a Jobberman report, 1 in 3 Nigerian youths now prefer tech skills over traditional career paths. With unemployment hovering above 30% nationally, the shift is hardly surprising. Bootcamps and online courses promise employable skills in six months — not four years.

Skipping School for Bootcamps
It’s no longer shocking to hear about young Lagosians dropping out of university or delaying admission to enroll in coding schools and digital skill programs. To many, the path of learning Python or Figma looks more promising than memorizing outdated lecture notes.

Why This Matters
This new hustle is redefining what success looks like in Lagos. While older generations still see degrees as prestige, Gen Z and millennials are building wealth through remote jobs, freelancing, and startups powered by tech skills. In a city where survival means innovation, this shift is less about rebellion and more about survival.

The Bigger Picture
If the trend continues, Lagos could become Africa’s largest exporter of tech talent — but it also raises questions about the future of Nigeria’s universities. Will they adapt or fade into irrelevance?

Question for readers:
If you had to choose today — a university degree or tech skills — which one would you pick?

sulaak:
Healthcare, Biotech, supply chain, cybersecurity, compliance, and project management are all considered tech skills in the USA. They are called STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. To work in Tech (Soft Engr), you would usually have the same aptitude for working in any STEM subject.

BTW AI will do majority of the skills of a Software Engr but what skills do you need to work with AI probably training in Software Engr

eyesoflagos:
https://eyesoflagos.com/the-new-age-hustle-why-lagos-youths-now-prefer-tech-skills-to-university-degrees/

madridguy:
If the trend continues, Lagos could become Africa’s largest exporter of tech talent — but it also raises questions about the future of Nigeria’s universities. Will they adapt or fade into irrelevance?

madridguy:
If the trend continues, Lagos could become Africa’s largest exporter of tech talent — but it also raises questions about the future of Nigeria’s universities. Will they adapt or fade into irrelevance?

autoez:
The youth in Lagos are highly informed and always ready to embrace technological advancements. Why wouldn’t they engage with the developments of their generation? Lagos State is on the verge of becoming one of the largest tech hubs in the world. After technology, young people should focus on making significant investments in modernized agriculture.

autoez:
The youth in Lagos are highly informed and always ready to embrace technological advancements. Why wouldn’t they engage with the developments of their generation? Lagos State is on the verge of becoming one of the largest tech hubs in the world. After technology, young people should focus on making significant investments in modernized agriculture.

Omoawoke:
You people should stop preaching a one way traffic

That’s the problem of Nigeria, everybody just jump into one thing and people start what they don’t even know why they are starting

Tech is not the only thing you can do to make it in life …. In fact it is one out of 100

There are still lots of opportunities and well paid careers in finance (like so much opportunities and so well paid)
Healthcare, Biotech, supply chain, cyber security, compliance, project management and so many more

And with the way AI is evolving at the speed of light, many tech skills will become irrelevant soon

Omoawoke:
You people should stop preaching a one way traffic

That’s the problem of Nigeria, everybody just jump into one thing and people start what they don’t even know why they are starting

Tech is not the only thing you can do to make it in life …. In fact it is one out of 100

There are still lots of opportunities and well paid careers in finance (like so much opportunities and so well paid)
Healthcare, Biotech, supply chain, cyber security, compliance, project management and so many more

And with the way AI is evolving at the speed of light, many tech skills will become irrelevant soon

Bade007:
where are the tech jobs in nigeria, tbh you better off learning video editing and photoshop

FutureFocus:
I’ve said it continually that I can read all your lecture notes in 2months and pass your university degree exam, it’s a waste of time,
Those outdated handouts can’t match a well detailed YouTube video on same course, just give me your course outline and I will dust it

Most universities engage students in partime studies just to sell handout and generate funds, you see many graduates that knows nothing , it’s a shame

vaxx:
Techs can never replace human center skills or skills that demand higher level of thinking.
University education remains very paramount.

What I suggest. A good country should adopt a compulsory techs skills in basic schools and secondary education. When foundation is solid. Up-skilling and re-skilling will be much more easier.

They are some high level thinking skills that can't be replaced with techs . Such as strategy, innovation, empathy , decisions making, communication and collaboration etc.

These high human centered skills will still remain relevant in our unis and our society at large .


So no worries . We just need to embrace tech's and understand the limitations and her capabilities