Broadcasting
Here’s How We Need to Think About Digital Skills in 2024
By Zuko Mdwaba, Salesforce Area VP / Africa Executive
It’s no secret that, in addition to a persistent youth unemployment crisis, Nigeria has an acute skills shortage. Some might view those two things as a paradox. In reality, however, they feed into each other. Without the requisite skills, many companies struggle to scale and grow, which would ease the unemployment crisis.
Photography for SAS in April 2017 by Jeremy Glyn.
There are few sectors where this skills shortage is felt more acutely than in the digital arena. In fact, a report released earlier this year found that more than 100 million young Nigerians lack the digital skills needed to take up good job opportunities
A good example of how big the shortage is can be seen in the software development space. At present, Nigeria is home to just 83 000 software developers. By contrast, the US state of California is home to more than 630 000 developers. Its population is just 18% as big as Nigeria’s. Of course, developers are just one slice of the digital skills pie. Other in-demand digital skills in Nigeria include cybersecurity, data analysis, and digital marketing.
But how can the country ensure that it builds those much-needed skills in a way that’s impactful and sustainable in the long term? One important step is to reframe how we think about digital skills development. It’s an approach which, among other things, means that the country will be better prepared for new technologies rather than reacting to them and which centres the whole person rather than focusing solely on a specific hard skill.
Embracing new tech
When it comes to embracing new technologies rather than fearing them, it’s hard to think of a more powerful example than artificial intelligence (AI). At the extreme ends of AI discourse, there are accelerationists, who believe that the rapid development of technologies in the field will benefit humanity and doomers, who take a far more pessimistic view on the future of AI and its implications for humanity.
In truth, much probably depends on how we choose to use the technology. For now, however, it’s important to remember that AI can be a significant enabler for digital workers and even create jobs. We know this because it’s already happening. In the programming space, for example, AI tools have helped developers program faster, be more productive, and even enjoy enhanced job satisfaction.
The same will likely be true across a broad spectrum of industries but only if people have the necessary skills to utilise AI effectively. As such, workers and businesses alike need to stop viewing AI as a threat, start thinking about how to use it to their advantage and build up their skills accordingly.
Focusing on the whole person
Getting people to the point where they can take this forward-looking approach to skills development is, however, not as simple as telling them to do so. And even if someone already has this attitude, you can’t just provide them with that specific skill. You also have to develop the whole person.
That means ensuring that skills development always happens within a relevant context. Within this context, people are equipped with more than technical capability but also given the support and resources to flourish in the environment where the acquired skills will be applied. Among the many benefits of this approach is that it means people will likely pick up future skills faster than they otherwise would have.
An important whole-person approach is the promotion of life-long learning. Here again, organisations cannot simply say they support life-long learning. They have to demonstrate that they do too. That means creating a supportive environment that encourages lifelong learning and learning agility as the foundation on which effective skills training and talent development can happen.
Understanding that skills development is a collective effort
Finally, it’s important to remember that skills development cannot be truly effective if it happens in isolation. Instead, organisations across all sectors must remember that they exist in an ecosystem and that real, transformative skills development can only happen when all the players in that ecosystem are pulling in the same direction.
It’s an approach which we’re confident will create tens of thousands of new jobs and generate billions of new dollars in business revenue. And the more players from across the industry who get involved the bigger the impact will be.
Act now or fall behind
Given the incredible need for skills development in Nigeria, along with the rapid pace of technological advancement, it’s clear that urgent action is needed. And if it’s not taken, the country risks falling behind and becoming uncompetitive. But it should also be clear that we need to be very careful about how we think about skills development in 2024. Ultimately, the idea isn’t to patch holes but to build a cohort of workers ready to face the future with full confidence.
QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit will hold its second edition on August 11 in Lagos, bringing together leaders across the creative, business and policy spaces.
Convened by Mighty Media Plus, publishers of online newspaper QEDNG, the summit brings together conversations at the intersection of creativity, enterprise and influence, with a focus on strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Reflecting on the inaugural edition, Iyanda said the summit drew participation from respected figures across sectors, including group managing director of SO&U Udeme Ufot as chairman and founder of The Africa Soft Power Group Dr Nkiru Balonwu as keynote speaker, alongside panellists such as filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) founder Mike Dada and executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Dr Shaibu Husseini who contributed to discussions on the direction of the creative economy.
“The first edition showed that there is a strong interest in serious engagement around the creative economy. We had contributions from experienced voices who helped set the tone for the kind of platform we are building,” Iyanda said.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the summit continues to expand its scope, attracting a diverse mix of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and emerging talents.
“This summit is designed as a meeting point for ideas, influence and execution. It is not just about conversations, but about outcomes that strengthen the creative economy,” Iyanda added.
He noted that the timing of the summit is significant as the country’s creative sector continues to evolve.
“Nigeria’s creative sector has grown in visibility, but the structures that support it are still evolving. The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit is part of the effort to bring clarity, direction and serious engagement to that growth,” he said.
The 2026 edition will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and curated sessions addressing themes around innovation, growth, funding and the global positioning of Nigerian creative talent.
According to Iyanda, the long-term goal is to build a platform that remains relevant across generations.
“Our goal is to build a platform that remains useful over time, one that documents progress, connects stakeholders and contributes meaningfully to policy and practice,” he said.
Further details on speakers, partners and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has criticised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over a recent directive to broadcast stations, describing it as a threat to free speech and press freedom.
In a press release signed by Achike Chude, national secretary, the union said it viewed the NBC’s notice released on 17th April with “grave concern and utter disappointment.”
It said the directive, which warned broadcasters to ensure “strict and uncompromised compliance,” was “nothing short of a veiled attempt to gag the media and institutionalise censorship.”
The union argued that the NBC’s warning against anchors expressing “personal opinions” interferes with newsroom decisions.
“Journalism, particularly in the realm of current affairs and political analysis, requires robust engagement,” the NUJ said.
It added, “To strip presenters of their right to analyze and contextualise news is to reduce the Nigerian media to a mere mouthpiece.”
The NUJ also faulted what it called vague rules and harsh penalties.
It said classifying such actions as offenses punishable by fines or suspension creates “a chilling effect.”
According to the statement, “This regime of fear encourages self-censorship, where journalists are too afraid to ask tough questions.”
Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, the union stressed that freedom of expression includes “the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
It added, “The NBC Code cannot and must not be used to override the supreme law of the land.”
The NUJ called for dialogue instead of threats and urged journalists to remain “resolute, professional, and fearless.”
It said, “The media is the watchdog of society, not the lapdog of the government.”
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, simply known as Fela, legendary Nigerian musician, has made history as the first African artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Fela
This is coming after he was posthumously honored with the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive this prestigious special merit recognition.
Fela will be honoured in the early influence category this year, along with Queen Latifah, rapper MC Lyte, country rocker Gram Parsons, and Cuban singer Celia Cruz at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event.
The honorees were revealed on Monday night in the US, during an airing of American Idol.
Sade Adu, Nigerian-born British singer, will be honoured in the performance category.
However, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, New Edition, and Pink, missed out on the final cut despite being nominated.
Over 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals voted to decide the honorees.
The induction ceremony will be held on 14 November at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
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