Former Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Group Chief Economist at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Yemi Kale, has warned that Nigeria's fragmented data systems are widening the country's skills gap, weakening productivity and limiting employment opportunities.

Kale gave the warning at the National Skills and Industry Alignment (NSIA) Roundtable Q2 Series in Abuja, where government officials, development partners, education stakeholders and private sector leaders gathered to discuss strategies for aligning workforce development with labour market demands.

He said Nigeria's challenge is no longer the lack of data but the inability to integrate information across government institutions, educational bodies and the private sector to support effective planning and evidence-based policymaking.

According to him, disconnected data systems have created a mismatch between the skills employers require and those possessed by many job seekers, leaving businesses unable to fill critical vacancies while millions of Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed.

Kale noted that employers, training institutions, policymakers and investors often work with isolated datasets, making it difficult to coordinate efforts aimed at developing the workforce and improving job placement.

He stressed that Nigeria, with nearly 70 per cent of its population below the age of 30, has enormous demographic potential but risks missing out on its economic dividend if skills development is not aligned with industry needs.

The economist added that countries that have successfully transformed their economies relied on integrated labour market information systems to connect education, skills training and industrial development.

To address the challenge, the Federal Government announced plans to establish a National Skills Database under a proposed Nigerian Skills Observatory.

The platform is expected to provide real-time data on the demand and supply of skills across sectors, helping policymakers, employers and training institutions make informed decisions.

Special Assistant to the President on Workforce Development, Rimam Nuhu, said the database would support the work of the National Council on Skills, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, by providing reliable labour market intelligence for workforce planning.

According to Nuhu, the initiative will help identify critical skills shortages, improve job matching, guide investments in education and vocational training, and strengthen Nigeria's productivity and competitiveness.

Stakeholders at the roundtable agreed that improving data integration and strengthening labour market intelligence would be key to closing the country's skills gap, creating employment opportunities and supporting sustainable economic growth.