Beyond Paper Qualifications: Why Alex Otti Is Right About Digital Skills -By Isaac Asabor

When Alex Otti told Abia youths not to rely solely on certificates but to acquire digital skills to survive and thrive in the 21st-century economy, he was not merely delivering another ceremonial speech. He was confronting a hard truth many young Nigerians are beginning to realize: the world of work has changed permanently.

For decades, certificates were treated as golden tickets to economic stability. Parents sacrificed everything to send their children to universities because a degree was once almost a guaranteed pathway to employment. But that reality has faded. Today, thousands of graduates roam the streets unemployed, not necessarily because they lack intelligence, but because the labour market now rewards practical competence more than framed credentials.

Governor Otti’s message at the launch of TechRise Cohort 3 in Abia State reflects this new global reality. His emphasis on software development, artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and other emerging skills is timely and strategic. The modern economy no longer revolves around what people studied years ago; it revolves around what they can do now.

The truth is simple: digital skills have become the new degree. Across the world, employers are shifting attention from academic titles to demonstrable abilities. Recruiters increasingly ask practical questions: Can you build a website? Can you analyze data? Can you automate business processes? Can you run digital campaigns that generate measurable results? Can you solve problems using technology? These are the skills driving today’s economy.

As highlighted in the article How Digital Skills Became the New Degree, which this writer stumbled on online, the classroom has effectively moved into browser tabs. Learning is no longer restricted to lecture halls. Young people now acquire valuable knowledge online through digital platforms, boot camps, virtual mentorships, and project-based learning. What matters is not where knowledge came from, but whether it can produce results.

This explains why portfolios, project experience, and micro-credentials are becoming more valuable in many industries than traditional certificates alone. Companies now hire based on competence and adaptability. In sectors ranging from finance to fashion, media to manufacturing, digital literacy is becoming a minimum requirement rather than an added advantage.

Otti’s warning therefore comes at the right time for Nigerian youths, especially in a country battling alarming unemployment levels. The danger of over-dependence on certificates is that education can become theoretical while the economy remains practical. Many graduates possess academic knowledge but lack the digital competence required in today’s workplaces.

The governor’s initiative through TechRise is important because it bridges that gap. Rather than producing certificate-holders waiting endlessly for government jobs, the programme aims to create innovators, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers capable of competing globally.

His statement that youths should become “active creators of digital value” captures the future perfectly. In today’s world, a young person in Aba or Umuahia can work remotely for companies in Europe, America, or Asia if equipped with relevant digital skills. Geography is no longer the limitation it once was. The internet has democratized opportunity.

More importantly, digital skills offer something Nigeria desperately needs economic self-reliance. A skilled software developer, data analyst, cybersecurity expert, or digital marketer can create wealth independently without waiting for scarce white-collar jobs. This is why advanced digital training is no longer optional. It is becoming essential for survival.

However, this shift does not mean traditional education is useless. Degrees still provide structure, discipline, and foundational knowledge. Universities remain important institutions. But certificates alone are no longer enough. They must now be complemented with practical, continuously updated skills that align with evolving realities. That is perhaps the strongest point in Otti’s position: learning must not stop at graduation.

Technology evolves too rapidly for static education models. Artificial intelligence alone is reshaping industries at breathtaking speed. Jobs that existed five years ago are disappearing, while entirely new career paths are emerging. Young people who refuse to adapt risk being left behind in an increasingly competitive digital economy.

The most successful professionals today are lifelong learners. They constantly upgrade themselves, learn new tools, and adapt to changing demands. In this era, employability depends less on what is printed on paper and more on the ability to solve problems in real time.

Abia State’s “AI FIRST” approach under TechRise therefore deserves commendation. It signals an understanding that the future belongs to technologically empowered societies. States and nations that fail to prepare their youths for this digital revolution may struggle economically in the coming decades.

Governor Otti’s message should resonate beyond Abia. It is a wake-up call to Nigerian youths everywhere. The future will not reward complacency. It will reward creativity, innovation, adaptability, and digital competence.

The question is no longer, “What certificate do you have?” The real question now is: “What value can you create?”