Curriculum Relevance, Digital Competence, and Employability Outcomes among University Graduates in Nigeria

Abstract

The persistent concern over graduate unemployability in Nigeria has renewed attention on the relevance of university curricula and the digital competence of graduates in an increasingly competitive labour market. This research work examined curriculum relevance, digital competence, and employability outcomes among university graduates in Nigeria using descriptive survey research design. The population comprised of all university final year under-graduates from selected public universities in Nigeria, from which a sample of 250 respondents was drawn through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled “Curriculum Relevance, Digital Competence and Employability Outcomes Questionnaire” (CRDCEOQ). The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by experts in educational management and measurement. Reliability was established using the Cronbach’s alpha method, yielding coefficients of 0.81 for curriculum relevance, 0.84 for digital competence, and 0.86 for employability outcomes, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the levels of the study variables, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed to test the stated hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that employability outcomes among graduates were moderate, curriculum relevance was perceived to be fairly aligned with labour-market demands, and graduates demonstrated an appreciable level of digital competence. The results further showed significant relationships between curriculum relevance and employability outcomes, as well as between digital competence and employability outcomes. In addition, curriculum relevance and digital competence jointly predicted employability outcomes among university graduates. The study then concludes that improving curriculum responsiveness and strengthening digital competence development are critical to enhancing graduate employability in Nigeria.