Nigerian public universities graduate thousands of students every year, graduates receive their certificates, gown in hand, and quickly find their way to the disheartening reality of being jobless.
If you’re a final year student (or a concerned parent) you have asked, “Will this degree lead to having a job or will I be unemployed for a long period?”
Unfortunately, the news is not good. The level of unemployment among graduates in Nigeria is not only high, but is also quickly reaching a crisis level. What is even worse is that this is nobody’s business. But what most people don’t know is that the course you choose has a lot of impact on the employability rate.
This is the first time we will show you the statistics on unemployment among Nigerian graduates based on the course they studied.
We will talk about the most “useless” degrees, the reasons for that and, the most important part, possible solutions.
Let’s go.
Graduate Unemployment in Nigeria (2026 Data)
Before we even talk about courses, we need to talk about the picture as a whole.
The last comprehensive employment data by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that in the last quarter of 2023 (2024, NBS), Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate (ages 15–34) was 42.5%.
But, the outlook for graduates is worse.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) noted in a 2024 report that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of educated unemployment in Africa; the Bank estimates that around 35% of Nigerian university graduates remain unemployed for five years or more after completing their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) (AfDB, 2024).
A more recent study by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in early 2025 estimated that out of the 800,000 graduates produced annually by Nigerian universities, only about 25% secure formal employment within two years of graduation (NESG, 2025).
That means 600,000 graduates every year are either unemployed or underemployed—working jobs that do not require their degrees.
But not all courses are equal. Some degrees are simply not translating into jobs.
Let us find out which ones.
Which Degrees Suffer Most? Graduate Unemployment Statistics by Course of Study
Several studies and surveys have attempted to rank Nigerian university courses by employability. The most referenced include:
- NOIPolls Graduate Employability Survey (2023)
- Jobberman Nigeria Graduate Report (2024)
- National Universities Commission (NUC) tracer studies (2022–2024)
Based on these sources, here are the top 5 degrees with the highest graduate unemployment rates in Nigeria.
1. Mass Communication / Journalism
Estimated unemployment rate among fresh graduates: 65–70%
Mass Communication was a respected degree. In the ’90s and early ’00s fast employment for graduates was the norm due to media, advertising, and PR openings.
Now? It’s all gone.
Reason for decline:
- Digital media has monopolized the market, disrupting all forms of traditional media (newspapers, television, radio).
- Mass Communication graduates have flooded the market because most Polytechnics and universities have adopted the course as a mainstream program.
- Graduates are not being taught digital skills (SEO, content marketing, social media management) and are therefore rendered unhireable.
- It’s common knowledge that scarce opportunities are met with thousands of applications.
The truth is: A survey conducted by NOIPolls in 2024 revealed that 68% of mass communication graduates who were surveyed and graduated between 2020 and 2023 were either unemployed or worked in unrelated fields such as sales or call centers (NOIPolls, 2023).
2. Political Science / Public Administration
Estimated unemployment rate among fresh graduates: 60–68%
Political Science is one of the most popular, oversubscribed, degree programs in Nigeria.
Reason for decline:
Generalist degrees are simply that. It is an inadequate approach to teach a bit of government, a bit of history, and a bit of law.
The limited professions that stem from the degree (civil service, politics, NGOs) are self-evident, with limited openings.
Most state governments have frozen hiring for budgetary reasons.
The majority of political science graduates are lacking hard skills (data analysis, project management, digital marketing, and so on…)
Data: The National Bureau of Statistics , in a 2022 labour force report, identified “Arts and Humanities” (which includes Political Science) as the field with the highest underemployment rate—over 55% (NBS, 2022).
Reference: National Bureau of Statistics. (2022). Labour Force Statistics: Unemployment and Underemployment Report. Abuja: NBS.
3. English Language / Literature in English
Estimated unemployment rate among fresh graduates: 65–72%
If you’ve taken an English course, we bet you’ve heard the joke, “You want to teach?” It’s not so funny when you live it.
Reason for decline:
- Teacher is the only popular job title, but public schools hire at negligible levels, and private schools pay about ₦30,000–₦50,000 ($75–$125) a month.
- Content/copywriting jobs exist, but most English graduates lack the skills to be SEO writers, UX writers, and technical writers.
- The effect that AI tools have (ChatGPT) show that there’s borderless competition for content writers and the demand for entry-level content writing continues to plummet.
Statistic: UI (2023) conducted a tracer study which revealed that only 28% of English graduates that sat for the 2018–2022 English graduation cohorts got full-time employment within three years of graduation for job roles related to their degree.
Reference: University of Ibadan Career Centre. (2023). Graduate Tracer Study Report (2018–2022). Ibadan: UI Press.
4. Sociology/Anthropology
Estimated unemployment rate among fresh graduates: 58–65%
Sociology shares a similar problem with Political Science: it is one of those “jack of all trades, master of none” degrees.
Why It Suffers
- The curricula are mostly theory bound with a tin of practice.
- Employers don’t ask for sociology graduates; they will have to hire Bachelor’s degree holders in Accounting, Business Administration, or a specialized Social Work degree.
- Most graduates end up competing for jobs in administration with candidates who will have more practice bound and specialized degrees, and therefore will be more employable.
Data: Jobberman (2024) reported that Sociology ranked the 3rd most least employable degree in Nigeria with 32% of graduates getting jobs within 24 months of graduation related to what they studied (Jobberman, 2024).
Degrees with Lower Unemployment Rates
To be fair, let us also look at the other side. Some degrees in Nigeria still lead to jobs. According to the same Jobberman (2024) report, the degrees with the lowest unemployment rates include:
| Course | Estimated Unemployment Rate | Reason for Better Prospects |
| Medicine & Surgery | 5–10% | High barrier to entry; regulated profession; constant demand |
| Nursing | 8–12% | Healthcare worker shortages globally and locally |
| Pharmacy | 10–15% | Diverse opportunities (hospitals, community pharmacy, pharma companies) |
| Computer Science | 15–20% | Tech sector growth; remote work opportunities |
| Accounting | 18–22% | Professional exams (ICAN, ACCA) create clear career paths |
| Civil Engineering | 20–25% | Infrastructure development projects |
Note: Even these “safe” degrees are not guarantees. An unlicensed medicine graduate is unemployable. A computer science graduate without portfolio projects will struggle.
Why Are Nigerian Graduates Unemployed? (Beyond the Course of Study)
While your course matters, it is not the only factor. Here are deeper reasons driving graduate unemployment in Nigeria:
1. Skills Mismatch
The World Bank (2023) described Nigeria’s education system as producing graduates “whose skills do not match labour market demands.” Employers consistently report that graduates lack critical thinking, digital literacy, and communication skills (World Bank, 2023).
Reference: World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update: Seizing the Opportunity. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group.
2. Slow Job Creation
The Nigerian economy is not generating enough formal jobs. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) , Nigeria needs to create 5 million new jobs annually just to keep up with young people entering the workforce. Currently, it creates fewer than 500,000 formal jobs per year (ILO, 2024).
Reference: International Labour Organization. (2024). World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024. Geneva: ILO.
3. NYSC and Employer Distrust
Many employers see the NYSC year as a “lost year” rather than a bridge to employment. Some companies have stopped hiring fresh graduates altogether, preferring candidates with 2–3 years of experience (even for entry-level roles).
4. Information Asymmetry
Most students choose their courses at 16 or 17 years old, often influenced by parents, friends, or JAMB cut-off scores—not by labour market data. By the time they graduate 4–5 years later, the market has changed.
What Can You Do? (Practical Advice for Current & Future Students)
Don’t worry if you are pursuing a degree that has been labeled a ‘high unemployment’ degree. Here are some options for you.
Current Students
- Learn a skill. While you are in college, go online and learn digital marketing, data analysis, web development, graphic design, project management, or other skills. Use Coursera, Udemy, and Google Skillshop.
- Begin interning. Your goal shouldn’t be to wait until after graduation to have your first internship. Intern as early as your second or third year. Even if the internship is unpaid, it is positioning you to have a great support network and be a great candidate to future employers.
- Be interested in certifications. Students in Mass Communication learn Google Analytics, HubSpot Content Marketing, or Meta Blueprint. Students in Political Science can get the Project Management Professional (PMP) and also learn data analysis.
- Begin a portfolio. Don’t just say you are capable. If you claim to have designing skills, make some designs and don’t say you can write. Create a blog to show off your writing abilities.
Unemployed Students
- Don’t wait to learn. The time you have to be unemployed can be used to learn. There are free tech programs in Nigeria like Google Digital Skills for Africa, Ingressive for Good, and Utiva.
- Don’t restrict yourself. Don’t just look for formal positions. Freelance, start your own business, or work for a foreign company that is hiring employees to work remotely.
- Use your University Alumni Network. There are many WhatsApp and LinkedIn groups for University Alumni. Join and post about job openings.
- Put yourself in a good position. If you can volunteer for a job that is with a respectable NGO, you can at least create a good reference for other jobs.
Future Students
If you are unsure of what you want to study in University, consider the jobs that are available once you graduate. Look at some tracer studies from universities you want to attend.
Don’t fall for “herd mentality.” You shouldn’t study what the rest are studying.
Consider vocational training alternatives. Not everyone needs a university degree. Technical skills (plumbing, electrical work, welding) are highly paid and in demand.
The Role of Policy: What the Government Should Do
Systemic change requires the implementation of policy, and individual action and advocacy are important for this.
Experts advise a number of changes:
- Real-time Labour market information systems that display employability data in order for students to make informed decisions about course selection should be implemented.
- All course curricula should be reformed to include practical skills, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy.
- Graduate internships should be funded to allow employers to engage fresh graduates without the full financial burden of the salary.
- The NYSC skill acquisition program should be overhauled to teach real, marketable skills.
- Graduate unemployment will continue to be an epidemic in Nigeria until these changes are made. In the meantime, individual strategy may help you gain a competitive advantage.
Conclusion: Your Degree Does Not Define Your Destiny
Given the statistics, a mass communication graduate with a 70% unemployment rate has a right to be distressed. The same goes for the political science graduate who has been unemployed for six years.
The reality is that there is life after university, and your degree should not be viewed as a life sentence.
Also, your degree does not determine your success as some of the most successful people in Nigeria operate in areas that are completely unrelated to their fields of study, like data science (a graduate of sociology) and UX writing (a graduate of English).
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