Is it true that only 40% of Nigerians with degrees are employed?

A Twitter user claimed that only 40 per cent of Nigerians with degrees are employed.

VERDICT: False. The claim that only 40 per cent of Nigerians with degrees are employed is false. Records from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that over 59 per cent of Nigerians with degrees or HNDs are employed, contrary to the claim.

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A Twitter user, William (@_SirWilliam_) claimed in a tweet that only 40 per cent of Nigerians with degrees are employed.

“Bants aside, only 40% of Nigerians with degrees are employed. And that number will rise to 45% if we don’t bring policies that attract investment. High inflation and multiple exchange rates WILL NOT bring jobs. So yes, a KPMG job is very very Top Tier in Nigeria,” he tweeted.

How true is this claim?

Verification

The NBS) publishes quarterly reports on Nigeria’s labour force statistics.

NBS records show that the unemployment rate for Nigerians with degrees and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) was 40.9 per cent as of the second quarter of 2020 and decreased to 40.1 per cent as of the fourth quarter of 2020.

On the other hand, as of the second quarter of 2020, the employment rate in Nigeria stood at 59.1 percent. This increased to 59.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020.

NBS reported that as of the fourth quarter of 2020, out of Nigeria’s labour force of 5,940,546 people with degrees or HNDs, 2,382,052 of the graduates were unemployed, translating to 40.1 per cent.

Therefore, analysis of labour force statistics published by the NBS shows that over 59 percent of Nigerians with degrees or HNDs are employed, contrary to the claim that only 40 per cent are employed.

In fact, the reverse is the case as data show that about 40 per cent of Nigerians with degrees or HNDs are unemployed.

Conclusion

The claim that only 40 percent of Nigerians with degrees are employed is false. Records from the National Bureau of Statistics show that over 59 per cent of Nigerians with degrees or HNDs are employed, contrary to the claim.