TRITEK SUMMIT RAISES CONCERNS OVER AFRICA'S DIGITAL SKILLS GAP EMPLOYABILITY

TRITEK SUMMIT RAISES CONCERNS OVER AFRICA'S DIGITAL SKILLS GAP EMPLOYABILITY

EdTech leaders, industry experts converge in Lagos to confront a widening crisis between classroom training and workplace readiness

A high-profile gathering of educators, technology founders, and industry professionals has sounded a loud alarm over a deepening employability crisis across Africa, warning that the continent's rapidly growing edtech sector may be producing graduates who are ill-equipped for the jobs that actually exist or that will exist in the near future.

The TriTek Academy EdTech Summit, held in Lagos on May 16, 2026, under the theme "Redefining Education for a Digital Africa," brought together speakers and panellists to address what organisers described as a fundamental mismatch between the skills being taught and the skills actually required in a market being reshaped by artificial intelligence.

The event was convened by Dr Adeshola Cole, Founder of TriTek Academy, alongside a distinguished lineup including Love Oyeledun, AI Enablement Specialist; Victor Oluwaleye, Head of Marketing at Konga; Angel Alphonsus, Product and Growth Specialist; Oladotun Ajayi, Co-founder of Evolv Africa; and Olajumoke Durotolu, Business Operations and Project Manager.

THE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM

Oyeledun opened proceedings by challenging the widely held belief that global competitiveness is built on skill alone. He argued that professionals in Nigeria face not only skill gaps compared to counterparts in more developed economies, but also structural disadvantages such as time zone friction, payment complications, and currency exposure — factors that make African professionals structurally uncompetitive regardless of their technical abilities.

The summit heard frank assessments of the labour market. Oluwaleye noted that while digital skills such as digital marketing, Canva usage, and Figma proficiency have become saturated, it is soft skills — critical thinking and communication — that create the true distinction in today's job market.

He further painted a troubling picture of graduate employment: AI is automating entry-level roles including data entry, administrative tasks, basic coding, and content writing at an accelerating pace, collapsing the traditional career ladder. Companies, he warned, no longer hire fresh graduates to train them on the job, but instead seek candidates who already possess five years of demonstrated experience.

CERTIFICATIONS VERSUS CAPABILITY

A recurring theme throughout the summit was the concern that Africa's edtech boom may be generating certificates rather than competent professionals. Oluwatomilola Tometi, Program Manager at EdTech, challenged platforms to move beyond merely educating talent, urging them to invest in placement ensuring that learners who commit to training are actually able to secure employment and close the gap between learning and tangible economic outcomes. 

Angel Alphonsus added that for those seeking to pivot from one career field to another, the responsibility falls on individuals themselves to pursue internships and build transferable proof of concept skills.

These concerns echo broader data on the continent. According to the International Finance Corporation, some 230 million jobs across Africa will require some level of digital skills by 2030 — translating to a potential for 650 million training opportunities and an estimated $130 billion market. Yet much of the training currently on offer is not closing that gap meaningfully.

THE SOFT SKILLS CRISIS

Dr Cole, in her keynote titled "Global Talent vs Local Relevance: Who are we Training for?", argued that Africa's skill gap extends beyond technical knowledge to what she called "global awareness" — the ability to navigate cultural differences, understand communication norms, recognise diverse perspectives, and respond appropriately to feedback from colleagues across different cultures and contexts.

She turned accountability squarely on edtech founders and employers themselves. If graduates are not employable, the question leaders must ask is not whether the learners are lacking skills, but rather whether they have correctly identified if the problem is a matter of will or a matter of skill. She also questioned what soft skills training organisations have introduced internally.

Dr Cole called for collective action across the education and technology sectors. "If we all came together as one force and one community," she told attendees, "we would be doing exceedingly well."

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

The summit also debated whether government or the private sector should lead the charge on digital education reform. Oyeledun emphasised the need for government to focus on quality learning for youths to meet market demand, while Human Resource Manager Mfon Eshett called for policies that actively support the private sector, stating that enabling frameworks from government are essential for real progress.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Remote and freelance work in Africa has grown by more than 50 per cent since 2020, with digital roles in software, data, and marketing leading the way. Yet experts warn that without a serious realignment between what is being taught and what employers need, vast numbers of young Africans risk being left behind.

Of the world's 20 countries with the weakest digital skills, 12 are in Africa, and only 11 per cent of Africa's tertiary education graduates have formal digital training. 

As the Tritek summit concluded, attendees were left with a harder question than the one that opened it — not "Are people learning?" but rather: "Is what is being taught what the market actually needs?" For African edtech companies at this critical juncture, where the continent's youth population is growing and technology adoption is accelerating, the answer to that question will determine whether the industry becomes a genuine force for economic transformation or remains a marketplace for certifications that signal nothing about actual capability.