EAPEAN prioritises practical skills over certificates

The Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria has declared that practical skills, rather than academic certificates alone, hold the key to tackling Nigeria’s worsening unemployment crisis.

Speaking at the association’s 15th Annual General Meeting held at NECA House in Lagos on Wednesday, the President of EAPEAN, Chief Nzeribe Okegbue, called on the Federal Government and key stakeholders to urgently prioritise vocational and technical skills acquisition, noting that member companies under the association currently support over five million jobs across the country.

“The job market has evolved beyond paper qualifications. While education provides the foundation, practical skills are what drive productivity and sustained employment in today’s economy,” Okegbue stated.

Okegbue argued that academic qualifications are no longer sufficient to guarantee employment, given the massive influx of tertiary graduates into the labour market annually against a shrinking pool of white-collar jobs.

“No matter the certificate you have, you must have a skill,” Okegbue said, urging the government to strengthen skills acquisition schemes, particularly within the National Youth Service Corps.

“We must transform our youth from job seekers into skill-driven value creators if we are to stem the rising tide of unemployment,” he added.

He stressed that equipping young graduates with practical skills would enhance their employability and empower them to generate income while searching for formal career paths.

The EAPEAN president also called for stronger synergy between the government, licensed recruitment agencies, and development partners to expand job opportunities and elevate standards across the recruitment ecosystem.

“No single entity can solve the unemployment puzzle alone; public-private collaboration is essential to building an inclusive and resilient workforce,” he remarked.

Reviewing the association’s growth, Okegbue revealed that EAPEAN’s membership grew from 302 at its 14th AGM in 2025 to 355 during the period under review, with about 280 corporate members actively participating in its activities.

“This steady expansion reflects the growing confidence of stakeholders in our mandate to professionalise private employment agencies in Nigeria,” he noted.

He attributed the growth to ongoing internal reforms and heightened awareness of the strategic role played by licensed private employment agencies.

On workers’ welfare and compliance, Okegbue highlighted the association’s commitment to ethical recruitment, international labour standards, and statutory obligations, including pension contributions, social insurance, and the national minimum wage.

“Our commitment to ethical recruitment is non-negotiable, and we will continue to champion decent work and fair treatment for all workers placed by our members,” he affirmed.

He warned that member organisations paying workers below the statutory minimum wage of N70,000 were violating the association’s standards, even as he noted that the current wage structure remains inadequate due to persistent inflationary pressures.

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“The present economy we find ourselves in, anything that goes up in Nigeria cost-wise hardly comes down,” he said.

“Even with the N70,000 minimum wage, the reality on the ground shows that living expenses continue to stretch workers beyond their limit,” he added.

He expressed optimism that improved macroeconomic conditions and better commercial contracts would enable employment agencies to pay wages well above the statutory benchmark.

Okegbue further identified unlicensed operators, regulatory uncertainty, and rising operational costs as major bottlenecks plaguing the sector, calling on illegal operators to regularise their operations by joining the association.

“Unlicensed operators pose a huge risk to job seekers and the credibility of our industry. It is time for illegal operators to come into the fold and operate within established legal frameworks,” he warned.

To foster industrial harmony, EAPEAN disclosed progress in its engagement with organised labour, including a procedural agreement signed with the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees on 22 December 2025, to streamline dispute-resolution mechanisms.

“Constructive dialogue with organised labour remains our best tool for ensuring industrial peace and protecting workers’ welfare,” Okegbue observed.

Also speaking at the event, the Registrar of Trade Unions, Rabiu Shuaibu, who represented the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, reminded registered bodies that strict compliance with the Trade Unions Act and their respective constitutions remains mandatory.

“Registration comes with legal responsibilities, and total adherence to statutory provisions is expected of every union and association,” Shuaibu stated.

Shuaibu warned that infractions could attract severe sanctions, including the revocation of registration certificates, while emphasising that regular financial contributions remain a legal prerequisite for maintaining valid membership status.

“Failure to comply with the law will leave the ministry with no option but to invoke full regulatory sanctions, including certificate cancellation where necessary,” he cautioned.

The event featured goodwill messages from representatives of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, the International Labour Organisation, the International Organisation for Migration, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Labour Congress.