Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami on Tuesday said Nigerians place undue emphasis on certificates even when there are no jobs in the country.

The minister spoke at the opening session of the National ICT Girls Empowerment Competition in Abuja.

He noted that the value attached to certificates has led to the production of graduates who cannot think of becoming entrepreneurs.

Pantami stressed the need for Nigerians to place more value on skills, which he said was needed in the digital economy.

The theme of the competition, which featured eight girls secondary schools from various parts of the country, was ‘ICT innovation for inclusion in a digital economy’.

“I don’t want to disclose the number of CVs I have with me.

“We focus on producing potential employees but there are no jobs available for them.

“We keep producing potential employees because we place so much emphasis on certificates.

“We need to focus more on skills than certificates,” he said.

The minister expressed regrets that most fresh graduates are fixated on becoming paid employees.

He added, “Ninety-nine per cent of our graduates do not think outside the box – they only want to be employed in some particular parastatals.

“They know the salary structure and everything about these particular parastatals.

“That has been our problem.“

The minister noted that innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital sector will transform Nigeria’s economy.

He explained that the competition was in line with the Federal Government’s plan to discover and nurture young innovators.

Pantami added that the secondary school students, particular the girls, should be guided on what to do to take up careers in the digital sector.

“This competition is aimed at encouraging young girls to discover their talents in digital innovation,” he said.

The competition started with 69 schools from different parts of the country.