Veteran Nollywood actor Charles Inojie has voiced his concerns about the employability of some Nigerian graduates, recounting a movie set encounter that left him disappointed. Inojie revealed that a graduate who studied Linguistics struggled to engage in a conversation about her own discipline, raising questions about the practical knowledge acquired in Nigerian universities.
The Encounter That Sparked Concern
Speaking about the incident, Inojie explained that the graduate told him she had studied Linguistics at the university. However, when he mentioned Noam Chomsky, a major figure in modern linguistics, she reportedly could not follow the conversation. Inojie noted that Linguistics was only an elective course for him, making the encounter particularly striking.
“She was so surprised and couldn’t believe it when I said, ‘Oh, all these Noam Chomsky children.’ She was lost when we started discussing her course of study,” he said. The actor expressed his disappointment, saying, “I was really disappointed in her and that thing dey worry me. I’ve heard people say that a good number of our graduates today are not employable.”
Broader Debate on Graduate Employability
Inojie said the experience made him reflect on the wider debate over whether many Nigerian graduates are adequately prepared for the workplace. He argued that inadequate knowledge could contribute to some young people being reluctant to take up available jobs, adding that the claim about graduates being unemployable may not be entirely far-fetched.
His remarks have sparked reactions on social media. @VictorTerhemba commented on a past debate with Inojie, saying, “Meanwhile, this man and I got into a debate sometime ago in Abuja when he insisted that actors create characters and I insisted that writers create characters while actors interpret the characters. I was also disappointed he believed his position, I am not a filmmaker nor actor.” Another user, @olagreenquest, noted, “It's less about knowing Noam Chomsky and more about understanding the core of his work, which I doubt many Nigerians who have heard that name or claimed to have read him do. Even the so called lecturers, how many Nigerians know a thing about metacognition?”
Inojie’s Previous Advocacy
In related news, Legit.ng previously reported that Charles Inojie revealed what inspired him and actor Ali Nuhu to create a campaign against domestic violence. Inojie said he wanted to use his platform to change the culture of silence around domestic violence, realizing that the way to do it was to make noise. He explained that the guilt of silence in the face of such acts prompted him and his colleague to join their voices to raise awareness.
The actor’s latest comments add to ongoing discussions about the state of education in Nigeria and the readiness of graduates for the workforce. As the debate continues, Inojie’s experience serves as a concrete example of the challenges some graduates face in applying their academic knowledge.
