“Calling Nigerian Graduates Unemployable Is National Demarketing” Farounbi, Mande Warn

“Stop saying that Nigerian graduates are not employable.”

That was the emphatic position of Ambassador Dr. Yemi Farounbi, OON, and Professor Samaila Mande, who used the Third Edition of the ValidViewNetwork Global Monthly Discourse on Sunday, August 30, 2026, to challenge one of the most persistent and damaging narratives about Nigeria’s education system and young professionals.

Speaking under the theme “Truth or Treason? Navigating the Thin Line Between National Critique and National Demarketing,” the two Distinguished Discussants argued that while legitimate weaknesses in Nigeria’s educational system should be identified and addressed, branding an entire generation of graduates as unemployable amounts to an outright demarketing of the country.

Amb Dr. Farounbi: I Have Employed Nigerian Graduates Who Excelled

Ambassador Dr. Yemi Farounbi brought the discussion down to his own professional experience, stressing that his position was not based merely on theory.

Farounbi, a veteran broadcaster, former General Manager of NTA, and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the Philippines and Cambodia, said he had personally employed a number of Nigerian graduates who performed creditably well, thereby challenging the sweeping claim that graduates produced by Nigerian universities are generally unemployable.

He argued that the problem with the statement lies in its generalisation, describing such generalisation as an outright act of national demarketing and not criticism.

For him, there is a fundamental difference between saying that certain graduates may lack particular skills and declaring that Nigerian graduates are unemployable.

“Criticism identifies a problem with the intention of drawing attention to it and encouraging improvement,” Farounbi explained. “Demarketing occurs when negative descriptions become so sweeping, persistent or exaggerated that they diminish confidence in the subject being discussed.”

Prof. Mande: Constructive Criticism vs. Damaging Generalisation

Professor Samaila Mande, a Professor of Marketing and Communications at NOUN, Fellow of NIPR, NIMN, and ARCON, President of the Academy of Management Nigeria, and Director of the NOUN Business School, took the argument further by drawing a clear distinction between constructive criticism and national demarketing.

According to Prof. Mande, constructive criticism could involve saying that some university programmes need stronger links with industry, that students require greater exposure to practical skills, or that universities should continuously update their curricula to reflect changes in the labour market.

He then sounded the alarm:

“That is fundamentally different from declaring that Nigerian graduates are not employable.”

Speaking further, he affirmed that the first approach identifies an area requiring intervention while the second risks creating a negative identity around an entire generation of graduates and, by extension, the educational institutions that produced them.

The Discussants pointed to the large number of Nigerians educated in Nigerian universities who have subsequently secured employment in multinational corporations and prestigious organisations outside the country.

Many, they observed, have gone on to distinguish themselves in medicine, engineering, technology, finance, academia, communications, business and several other fields, shining internationally and demonstrating that attendance at a Nigerian university does not automatically make a graduate incapable of competing globally.

The Thin Line Between Critique and Demarketing

The discourse provided a fitting platform for the two Discussants to interrogate the consequences of public statements that may begin as criticism but eventually become damaging narratives about the country.

While tracking the thin line, Farounbi and Mande argued that describing Nigerian graduates collectively as unemployable is not constructive criticism but an anti-progress narrative that can have consequences far beyond the immediate education sector.

They maintained that while legitimate concerns about curriculum relevance, skills gaps, unemployment and the quality of education should be openly discussed, such concerns must not be transformed into sweeping declarations that diminish the accomplishments of millions of Nigerian graduates.

The Discussants therefore cautioned that leaders, academics, employers, media professionals and other influential voices must exercise greater responsibility when making statements about Nigeria and Nigerians.

They stressed that a statement made casually in a corner may no longer remain in that corner. In the age of social media, such a statement can be recorded, reproduced, amplified, quoted internationally and eventually become part of the perception of Nigeria.

The Discussants warned that leaders at all levels must be particularly careful because of the enormous power attached to public statements, stating that some of them may need to learn the art of communication.

According to them, a comment that may have been intended to provoke discussion about educational reform could easily be interpreted as an indictment of an entire generation. Once amplified through social media and other communication platforms, the original context may disappear while the damaging assertion survives.

This, they argued, is precisely where the boundary between national critique and national demarketing becomes important. The Discussants did not advocate silence or an end to criticism.

Rather, they called for responsible criticism, arguing that Nigeria’s weaknesses must be confronted honestly while its strengths and achievements are also acknowledged.

Two Living Repositories of Experience

Ambassador Dr. Yemi Farounbi is one of those rare Nigerians whose life reads like a rich chapter in the story of modern Nigeria. Broadcaster, media administrator, teacher, filmmaker, writer, politician, diplomat and public intellectual, Farounbi has traversed several fields of national life without losing the intellectual curiosity and passion for public service that have defined his journey.

The most enduring dimension of Dr. Farounbi’s personality is his voice.

Even after leaving formal public office, he has remained an outspoken participant in national conversations about democracy, leadership, governance and the future of Nigeria.

He speaks with the authority of someone who has witnessed Nigeria across several generations and participated directly in many of the institutions that shaped its public life.

Ambassador Dr. Yemi Farounbi was an exceptionally fitting Distinguished Discussant at the Third Global Discourse of ValidViewNetwork, bringing to the conversation a rare combination of media experience, diplomatic exposure, intellectual depth and decades of public service.

The Third Global Discourse had more than a distinguished discussant in Ambassador Farounbi, but a living repository of experience whose voice connects Nigeria’s past, its present realities and the possibilities of its future.

Professor Samaila Mande stands among the distinguished Nigerian academics whose careers demonstrated the power of knowledge, versatility and purposeful service.

His assertions were beyond the credentials of a professor, but the practical wisdom of a communication strategist, the perspective of a marketing scholar and the experience of a professional who understands the power of ideas, identity and influence in shaping society.

Their combined experience and expertise in communication, education, public affairs, professional development and national image helped in tracking the thin line between criticism and national demarketing and how such narratives are perceived beyond its borders.

A Call for Balance, Evidence and Responsibility

The message from Ambassador Farounbi and Prof. Mande was ultimately not a defence of the Nigerian education system against criticism. Rather, it was a call for balance, evidence and responsibility.Nigeria undoubtedly faces serious challenges in education.

Universities require better funding, stronger infrastructure, more industry collaboration, updated curricula and improved opportunities for students to acquire practical and digital skills. But recognising those challenges does not require dismissing the abilities of the people emerging from the system.

The two Distinguished Discussants therefore urged Nigerians to tell the truth about the country’s challenges without losing sight of its possibilities.They warned: “Nigeria must learn to criticise itself without destroying its own image, confront its weaknesses without denying its strengths and tell difficult truths without turning those truths into weapons against the nation itself.”

“Because when a nation constantly tells the world that its graduates are failures, the world may eventually believe it. But when the nation tells the truth about its challenges while also celebrating the Nigerians who continue to excel against the odds, it does something far more powerful. It does not hide the cracks. It shows that the building is still standing, and that there are people inside it capable of rebuilding it,” they concluded.

Building on a Continuing Conversation

The Third Global Monthly Discourse is part of ValidViewNetwork’s continuing effort to create a platform for serious conversations on issues affecting Nigeria and the wider world.

The discourse is held on the last Sunday of every month, bringing together distinguished scholars, professionals, policymakers, public intellectuals and other voices to examine complex issues beyond the immediacy of daily headlines.

The Second Edition, held virtually on Sunday, July 26, 2026, focused on “National Demarketing and the Nigerian Psyche: Resetting Nigeria’s Public Mindset.” It featured Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi FNIMN, FNIPR, President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, and Dr. Ike Neliaku FNIPR, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

The Discussants examined how persistent negative narratives about Nigeria can affect public perception, investor confidence, international relationships and the country’s competitiveness.

The Third Edition consequently deepened that conversation by identifying the thin line between criticism and national demarketing.

Join the Conversation

The Monthly Global Discourse is ValidViewNetwork’s flagship intellectual forum designed to convene thought leaders, scholars, policymakers, and citizens across continents for deep, evidence-based conversations on issues shaping national and global development.

It provides a platform for critical reflection, expert analysis, and solution-driven dialogue on emerging challenges in governance, environment, economy, security, and social transformation.

ValidViewNetwork invites all stakeholders — professionals, thought leaders, politicians, policymakers and patriotic citizens to participate in this monthly vital discourse every last Sunday of the month from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (WAT).

The session promises to move beyond mere criticism to explore actionable strategies for fostering a more resilient and optimistic national identity.

ValidViewNetwork platform is a platform where experts, professionals, policymakers, technocrats and citizens converge for solution-driven conversations on national and global issues.

Together, these components form a unified ecosystem dedicated to ethical communication, democratic engagement, and development-oriented public enlightenment.

ValidViewNetwork Limited, founded by Dr. Kayode Ogunjobi, FHEA, FFAN, stands firmly on three strategic legs; ValidViewNetwork Media, ValidViewNetwork Consultancy, and ValidViewNetwork Advocacy, working together to deliver credible news reporting, expert environmental and academic consultancy services, and strong public-interest advocacy.

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The Fourth Edition of the Monthly Global Discourse comes up on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with another pressing national issue on the table.