Top 12 Vocational Skills in High Demand in Nigeria 2024

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Its no news that vocational skills has become the main source of income to a lot of Nigerians with the rate of unemployment. This articles shows you the high demand vocational skills currently in the country.

Vocational Skills

What are Vocational Skills?

It is simply a skill that doesn’t require “formal education”. Vocational skills are acquired by learning from an experienced master and sometimes, you don’t need writing materials before you can learn it, as it requires your total focus, determination and brain only.

It’s generally called “informal education”. That is, the type of education you received without sitting in the four walls of a building – School.

There are many skills available in Nigeria and the world at large, some require lots of formal education while the rest requires little to no formal education — this is where vocational skills in Nigeria come in.

Not everyone has the privilege of going through formal schools; others who started couldn’t keep up with the financial requirements for many reasons.

Does that mean they can’t have a career and earn good money? No! This is where acquiring vocational skills can help.

Types of Vocational Skills in Nigeria

There are different types of vocational skills list in Nigeria depending on the industry and sector in question. However, all the available types of vocational skills in Nigeria can be classified into:

Formal Skills Acquisition

This type of vocational skills and training requires the applicant or apprentice to be literate. That is, the person must be able to read and write.

The reason is, the necessary skill set to be learned is purely Western and as such, regards must be given to that. Example include; graphic designing, Film production and editing, consulting business, among others.

Informal Skill acquisition

Here, the apprentice doesn’t have to be versed in Western education. In fact, this type of skill acquisition doesn’t require reading or writing, all it takes to learn them is focus and determination. Examples are; Makeup artiste, hairstylist, barbing saloon, event planning, etc.

Top Vocational Skills in Nigeria

Below is a list of lucrative vocational skills which anyone and everyone can learn, that’s if you are willing and ready to learn.

1. Fashion Design

Speaking of design, the first high-paying vocational skill in Nigeria is Fashion Design. This proves my point on the importance of branding and packaging in today’s world. Just like some digital designer is needed for graphics, so is one needed in the world of Fashion.

The fashion industry in Nigeria at present is one of the best performing industries for sometimes now, this goes to show the amount of money pumped in so far.

2. Photography

Photography is another top paying vocational skill in Nigeria today. We all know what photography is all about but have you wondered how photographers earn? I guess you haven’t.

Photography lets you earn your money as much as you want to, you determine how high you want to earn. Although many have complained of how saturated the industry is present, it’s still a skill worth knowing.

3. Hair Dressing or Barbing Saloon

If you are a hairdresser, a barber or a hairstylist, then your skill is among the top-paying vocational skills in Nigeria.

People are more enlightened on grooming and the importance to take care of the hair — both male and female. Armed with this information, people tend to care for their hair regularly, some weekly, bi-weekly, monthly etc.

4. Catering

Okay, who doesn’t like food? Or who doesn’t like to eat?

Have you tried staying a day without eating asides from fasting? We all like to eat and caterers make delicious delicacies for all and sundry.

Since food is a necessity for all living things including humans, caterers are as important as food in an economy, and you know what, people pay good money to consume great food. Consequently, Caterers makes our list of top vocational skills in Nigeria

5. Makeup / Makeover

The above terms are two skills that perform almost similar functions. Those in the Makeup/Makeover industry aren’t left out of the top-paying vocations.

It’s a known tradition in Nigeria and many other countries to host weddings and other events on a Saturday, I don’t know how many events or weddings happen on a Saturday but I know for sure that a lot does happen and lots of makeups and makeovers occur on that day.

Also, you can get a look-in in the movie industry, your services are highly needed.

6. Automobile Servicing

Automobile servicing got to do with cars and your ability to fix little hitches that pop up now and then.

Luckily for automobile engineers, smart gadgets have been invented to aid in the detection of certain faults which should make your work easier.

There are lots of cars these days in the country and their owners pay to get them serviced from time to time.

7. Interior Design

Design again make our list, this time — interior design. You may not be well acquainted with what this vocation is all about.

An interior designer is charged with the responsibility of taking care or design of the interiors of a building so as to offer satisfaction to the users of such a building.

An interior designer is tasked with researching, designing and implementation of various designs on a building.

Although not quite popular worldwide, the services of an interior designer is needed in many English speaking countries including Nigeria and guess what, they’re paid well.

8. Manufacturing

This vocational skill in Nigeria particularly requires creativity and lots of it. Manufacturing may take different shapes and forms.

You choose what you want to make, put a design around it and make it come alive.

This may not be an easy vocation to learn and do, but if you persevere, you’ll reap lots of financial benefits.

9. Welding and Fabrication

Another top vocational skill that pays is welding which goes evenly with fabrication. If you haven’t considered this skill, you should start now, you can learn this skill without formal education as a requirement.

Once you’ve acquired this skill, you could start earning straight away because the market isn’t much saturated with welders. All construction companies certainly will need the services of a welder who knows his onions!

10. Carpentry

Woodwork! That’s what comes to mind when we talk about carpentry. I’ll say everyone is a carpenter in some way. Almost everybody knows how to use the two main tools of a carpenter — hammer and nail. We all know how to drive a nail through wood, brick or concrete using the hammer.

Have you thought about roofing a simple building? No, you can’t do it if you’re not a pro, and even if you do, the structure may not last as that you would get from a professional — that’s why we pay a professional carpenter to work on our roofing or other carpentry related jobs.

11. Plumbing

Another top skill in this list is plumbing. So what makes plumbing a highly paid vocational skill in Nigeria?

Simple! The building is erected around the world on a daily basis, water and gas pipe gets broken now and then due to pressure and other effects.

Plumbers are needed in the planting of pipes in buildings for several purposes like the flow of water, gas, drainage or other chemicals.

Since this market isn’t highly saturated, plumbers tend to earn pretty good money for their services.

12. Painting

Welcome to the world of colours! Painting as we all know gives a house in different look. One might think painting is pretty much easy but no…! it’s not all rosy.

As a painter, you’ll have to know colour like you know your fingers, what combination gives you what, using multiple colours in a building or a single colour, what type of paint would be suited for the job, and also how to reduce waste.