Once upon a time in Nigeria, a degree guaranteed respect, employment, and stability. You wore that graduation gown like a passport to prosperity. But in 2025, that script is broken. Degrees are nice. But skills pay the bills. This episode is not an attack on education. It is a call to upgrade your arsenal. Because in today’s job market, employers don’t want certificates. They want competence. You are about to learn the skills that make employers chase you and how to get them without going broke.

So let’s talk about how to make yourself undeniable, even in this noisy, overcrowded, degree-saturated world.

Let us dive in.

In the 1980s and ‘90s, if you had a University degree, you were a god. People stood up when you entered a room. Your parents added “graduate” to your name like a title. You had instant respect and job offers waiting at the gate.

In the book GRIT, I talked about 5 Big Lies Nigerian Youth Believe About Skills in 2025 and Dr. Abiola Salami’s Truth. Let me share one of them with you:

1. “I studied engineering, so I must do engineering.”
Truth: No. You are not your degree. You are your value.
Let me share an insider secret with you. I got this from speaking to 40+ hiring managers across Nigeria and abroad, here’s what they actually want: Can you solve a real problem? Are you proactive without being told? Can you communicate clearly? Will you raise the team’s standard? Are you coachable and collaborative?
A degree might tick one box. Skills and attitude tick all.

In the book, I shared 10 high-value, low-barrier, Nigerian-context-friendly skills that will make employers chase you. Let me share 3 here with you:

1. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
What It Is: The ability to spot problems early, evaluate multiple solutions, and make logical decisions based on facts, not panic or peer pressure.
Why It Matters in the Marketplace: Employers don’t want to micromanage. They want people who can solve problems and add value without always being told what to do.
How To Learn It: Take free courses on decision-making (e.g., Coursera, EdX). Practice “The 5 Whys” method when analyzing issues. Join case study competitions or simulations. Read books like Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

2. Communication Skills (Verbal & Written)
What It Is: The ability to express ideas clearly, listen actively, write professionally, and present your thoughts in a way others understand and trust.
Why It Matters in the Marketplace: Good communication builds trust, reduces errors, and enhances teamwork. It’s also essential for sales, reports, negotiations, and leadership.
How To Learn It: Take public speaking courses (e.g., Toastmasters, Udemy). Write regularly (blogs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters). Record your voice and practice clarity and tone. Read quality newspapers and listen to business news

3. Digital Literacy
What It Is: Your ability to use essential digital tools like spreadsheets, cloud software, video conferencing, and email plus understanding online etiquette and security.
Why It Matters in the Marketplace: You can’t grow in any modern role if you can’t use Google Workspace, Excel, Zoom, and team collaboration tools like Slack or Trello. It’s basic survival now.
How To Learn It: Take Google’s free Digital Skills for Africa course. Watch YouTube tutorials on Excel, Google Docs, Trello, and Zoom. Practice digital etiquette: don’t type in all caps, check your email tone, learn keyboard shortcuts

Conclusion
Employers don’t chase CVs. They chase competence. They chase clarity. They chase people who show, not people who just say, what they can do. It is time to stop waiting for job alerts. Start becoming an alert worth opening.

So go get the skills. Use your phone as a tool, not just a toy. Use your time as seed, not just entertainment.

Because guess what? You don’t need to be lucky. You need to be ready. And readiness is built with skill. So, don’t Just Apply, Attract.

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About Dr. Abiola Salami

Dr. Abiola Salami is the Convener of Dr Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp ; The Peak PerformerTM Festival and The New Year Kickoff Summit. He is the Principal Performance Strategist at CHAMP – a full scale professional services firm trusted by high performing business leaders for providing Executive Coaching, Workforce Development & Advisory Services to improve performance. You can reach his team on [email protected] and connect with him @abiolachamp on all social media platforms.