The document discusses the challenges and disruptions faced by Nigeria's workforce due to technological advancements and a stagnant educational curriculum that does not address the demands of modern work. It highlights the urgent need for policy reforms aimed at digital inclusion, human capital investment, and improved educational framework to prepare the workforce for future job requirements. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of learning from advanced economies to enhance Nigeria's position in the global market.

1. Course: The Changing Nature of Work: Preparing for Disruption
Final Project
Changing nature of work: The Nigerian Story.
Problem exegesis
At the dawn of independence in October 1960, my countrymen looked
forward to a country where milk and honey shall flow in abundance. A quick review
at our history shows that Nigeria my country was birthed with some certain
ideologies on what work is all about. An ideology of dependency on government.
This idea I believe is what has crippled us and affected our innovativeness.
The average Nigerian graduate todayis waiting onthe government absolutely to give
him/her job. These jobs are most often than not, routine jobs.
Technology is changing everything. Even the jobs that require advanced cognitive
skills, socio-behavioral skill and adaptability has been modified to an extent hence
the need for this sorts of skills.
As I grew educationally, repeatedly I have heard my teachers and lecturers alike
citing ‘job loss’ as one of the disadvantages of computer and technological
advancement. As technology advances, firms adopt new methods of production.
Thesemethods in mostly routine orcodifiable jobs replaces the need for morehuman
hands. Why use humans when a machine can do double the job in less time frame?
The need for salesmen have reduced with the advent of online retailing. Manifested
in our work life is inadequate formal jobs to meet the demand of the growing
populace. The declining costofmachines means firms will rather settle for machines
than humans due to cost implication
To an extent our classroom/curriculum is fashioned out for ‘codifiable’ jobs. You
are basically being taught how to be an accountant as they (our fathers) were taught
how to. You learn pharmacy just the way they learned it. In a nutshell, knowledge is
basically replicated or better word, “cloned”.

2. Self-study and platforms like this have taught me that an architect of yesterday and
one in the 21st century learned differently. “AutoCAD” changed the architectural
landscape. This means a student of architecture today learns differently. The
technology that comes with undertaking an architectural class today is different to
that of yesterday. This also means, knowledge of computer is required. In my own
view, we are taught to lean unto an industrial age that is already passing out. We are
basically being designed for a future that is fading away even before we begin it. For
the past four years now, I have been in the classroom learning, majoring in business
administration and management. A careful review of the designed curriculum for
my ‘A’ level shows that you are not being taught the requirements and demands of
the changing nature of work. There is basically no futuristic thinking and learning.
What we receive to a large extent is what I call ‘historical business management’.
This is not to say the entire curriculum is obsolete. What I am saying is, the
curriculum is not futuristic and therefore it cannot prepare the workforce for the
coming disruptions in the work environment. A lot is changing. Work and the way
work is carried out – courtesy, technological advancement.
Undoubtedly, information and communication technology has affected everything
including our work life. What Nigeria needs is positioning. To position herself
through careful planning and implementation of policies that are futuristic.
Solution
My country has a lot to offer to the world. That Singapore is an advanced
economy today means some sort of policy and policy implementation that started
long ago was in place. You don’tonly dream – dreams require work to be achieved.
The realistic of being a worker in Nigeria are rather disturbing. From little or no
social protection to inadequate training and retraining. Poorly designed educational
policy framework and curriculum to high level of digital divide.

3. In 2016, the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS) reported that adult illiteracy rate
stands at 56.9% while 95% of Nigerians do not own a personal computer which
according the United Nations (UN), ICT is pertinent to sustainable Development
agendum.
The quality of the future workforce is highly hampered by this reality. Now more
than ever, we have choices as to what to learn and how to learn what to learn.
Government, institutions and even individuals have a part to play in mitigating or
even eliminating these challenges that are creating ‘the serious disruptions’. It is
serious in our own context becauseI believe the effect orimpact of these disruptions
are felt differently in countries around the world.
A call to action
Job creation especially in the face of disruption, in whatever context, starts by
formulating the right policies, one of which is digital inclusion.
Digital inclusion is centered around some key components, to wit:
Physical resources (computers and connectivity)
Digital resources (digital materials online)
Human resources (literacy and education)
Social resources (communication institution and society structures
A well designed policy that harnesses this key components of digital inclusion will
go a long way in improving a country’s level of adaptability relative to the changing
nature of work.
Microsoft opined that “technology is a tool and it is the focal point of
education, economic development and social wellbeing”. Until we accept this
timeless truth, nothing else works as it should. The educational system(and libraries)
are strong agents of social communication. A concerted effort towards redefining

4. and rebranding the sectorcanhelp bridge the gap that comes with new jobs and skills
requirements for this jobs.
The provision oravailability of a well-designed educational system and policy is not
all that is needed. The human factor needs skills upgrade to be able to manage and
build a country’s future through the path of education.
As opined in the World Development Report (WDR) 2019, government should:
Invest in human capital, particularly early childhood education, to develop
higher – ordercognitive and socio-behavioral skills in addition to fundamental
skills.
Enhancing social protection. A solid guaranteed social minimum and
strengthened socialinsurance, complemented byreforms in labor market rules
in some emerging economies, would achieve this goal.
Creating fiscal space for public financing of human capital development and
social protection. Property taxes in large cities, excise taxes on sugar and
tobacco, and carbon taxes can be implemented to increase revenue. Another
is to eliminate the tax avoidance techniques that many firms use to increase
their profits. Government can optimize their taxation policy and improve tax
administration to increase revenue without resorting to tax rate increases.
The most significant investment as posited in WDR 2019 that people, firms, and
governments can make in the changing nature of work are in enhancing human
capital – boosting investment in early childhood development and adult literacy
programs.
In building human capital, Bill Gates opines that we should learn from our allies.
The advanced economies are out there, lets learn from them while building
modalities to set our nation in the world stage.