Software Engineering Skills Gap Analysis for the Nigerian ICT Labour Market

Nigeria's rapidly expanding digital economy faces a critical software engineering talent shortage, with employers consistently reporting mismatches between university graduate competencies and industry requirements. This study conducts a skills gap analysis for the Nigerian ICT labour market, examining the alignment between software engineering curriculum outputs and employer expectations across the South West, North Central, and South South zones. Data was collected through a dual survey of 40 ICT employers and 60 recent software engineering graduates from eight Nigerian universities. The survey measures competency levels across technical skills (cloud computing, DevOps, mobile development, AI/ML), professional skills (communication, project management, agile), and domain knowledge. Employers rate 65 percent of graduates as deficient in practical cloud and DevOps skills, and only 28 percent meet expectations for independent project delivery within the first six months of employment. The study correlates the gap with curriculum design weaknesses, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, and limited industry-academia collaboration. Professional recommendations target National Universities Commission (NUC) curriculum reform, mandated industry internship programmes, and institutionalisation of industry advisory boards for software engineering departments. This research provides evidence-based guidance for aligning Nigerian software engineering education with emerging labour market demands. Keywords: skills gap, software engineering education, NUC curriculum, ICT labour market, Nigeria