The Nigerian workforce is facing a growing innovation deficit, as more than seven in ten employees say they lack the skills and training to think critically or solve problems creatively.

This is according to a new workforce report by consulting firm Proten International.

The study, Assessing Gaps in Critical Thinking and Creative Problem-Solving in Corporate Workforces, shows a data analysis of a workforce eager to innovate but constrained by limited exposure, inadequate mentorship, and rigid corporate systems.

Eighty-one per cent of respondents said their roles demand critical thinking and problem-solving, and 71.5 per cent admitted they had received little or no structured training in those areas.

The gap is what has weakened productivity, limited competitiveness, and stalled Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.

“Employees are not short of ideas; they are short of systems that nurture them,” the report said.

The report noted that 78 per cent of workers show strong intrinsic motivation to improve efficiency, but only 66 per cent feel their companies celebrate innovation consistently.

Across sectors, human resources professionals are the most engaged in critical thinking at 93.5 per cent, followed by marketing and sales at 86 per cent. Finance and operations departments lag significantly at 63.6 and 66.7 per cent, respectively, in functions traditionally defined by compliance and adherence rather than creativity.

The data also suggests a cautious corporate culture. Only 36 per cent of Nigerian professionals describe themselves as proactive problem-solvers, while 44 per cent say they prefer to draft and confirm before acting.

Another 20 per cent admit they rarely take initiative, waiting instead for instructions. This is not new to the Nigerian system, even in the media industry.

Some reporters told the Guardian that many times their drafts are not used, as most times their online editors prefer their own ideas to theirs.

This trend, according to the report, points to an organisational culture where employees are reluctant to experiment or challenge existing systems for fear of criticism or failure.

“Bureaucracy is silently killing innovation in many firms,” it noted.

That fear has measurable effects. Only two in three employees say their ideas have directly led to improvements in products or services, even though nearly all respondents report identifying problems or opportunities in their daily work.

Ujunwa Somtochukwu, Head of People and Administration at Giesecke+Devrient, said the findings show that innovation in Nigeria cannot be driven by technology alone.

“The competitive edge of Nigerian companies will come from human thinking, not machines. Critical thinking must be institutionalised as part of corporate culture,” she said.

The report links training deficits to short-term management priorities. While many companies invest heavily in digital tools, only a minority allocate resources for creative leadership development or cross-departmental problem-solving workshops.

Ifeoma Grace Mba, Chief People Officer at OPay Nigeria, said her organisation’s experience proves that engagement drives innovation.

“By investing in people, we cut turnover by 60 per cent and improved innovation by 90 per cent,” she said.

Proten International also recommended that Nigerian firms create structured learning frameworks to close the skills gap, encourage psychological safety for idea testing, and establish recognition systems that reward innovation outcomes.

A 2024 World Bank study ranked Nigeria among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa for workplace innovation capability, while the World Economic Forum noted that less than 25 per cent of Nigerian firms run continuous upskilling programmes.

Proten warns that if companies fail to reform, Nigeria risks losing its growing pool of young professionals, many of whom are seeking opportunities in countries where innovation is rewarded.

“The future of work in Nigeria will depend less on technology and more on how people are trained to think. Without a mindset shift from compliance to creativity, the nation’s human capital advantage may remain untapped,” the report noted.