For decades, the traditional pathway into a professional career has been relatively straightforward- attend university, complete a programme of study, graduate and enter the workforce.
That model is increasingly being challenged.
Across Nigeria, universities, employers, governments and development organisations are having a broader conversation about whether academic institutions can adequately prepare graduates for industries that are becoming more specialised, technology-driven and rapidly changing.
Healthcare is one of the clearest examples.
As African countries seek to expand pharmaceutical production and develop indigenous health technologies, the demand is growing for professionals who possess not only academic qualifications but also an understanding of how healthcare technologies and products are developed, manufactured and deployed in real-world settings.
This is placing greater emphasis on industry-academia collaboration.
Rather than treating education and employment as two separate stages, the emerging approach seeks to create stronger connections between what students learn in the classroom and what they will encounter in the workplace.
The gap between knowing and doing
Universities remain central to developing the scientific foundations required for healthcare. Students can learn the principles of biotechnology, pharmaceutical science, engineering, nanotechnology, diagnostics and other disciplines within academic environments.
The challenge comes when those students move from theory to practice.
A graduate may understand the science behind a diagnostic technology without having seen how a diagnostic product is manufactured. An engineering student may understand production systems without having experienced the quality requirements of a regulated healthcare environment. A student may complete years of academic study without gaining a clear picture of the range of professional roles that exist within the healthcare value chain.
Industry exposure can help close some of these gaps.
Factory visits, internships, industrial training, mentorship programs, joint research and industry-informed curricula can give students a clearer understanding of how their academic knowledge is applied.
For employers, these relationships can provide an opportunity to contribute to curriculum development while gaining access to emerging talent.
For universities, they can help ensure that academic programs remain connected to developments taking place outside the campus.
And for students, the benefit may be the most immediate: an opportunity to understand not only what they are studying, but where that knowledge can take them.
A shift already underway
The growing interest in these partnerships is not happening in isolation.
Around the world, universities are increasingly working with industry to provide students with practical experience and exposure to emerging technologies. In Africa, the need is particularly relevant as countries seek to build domestic capabilities in sectors traditionally dependent on imported expertise, products and technologies.
Healthcare manufacturing presents a particularly important case.
Building a pharmaceutical or diagnostic manufacturing sector requires more than physical infrastructure. It requires scientists who understand product development, engineers who can operate sophisticated equipment, quality professionals familiar with regulatory requirements, researchers capable of advancing technologies and technical personnel able to maintain production systems.
Developing this workforce cannot be the responsibility of universities alone.
Industry cannot do it alone either.
The emerging model is therefore one of shared responsibilities, where universities provide the academic foundation and industry provides opportunities to understand how that knowledge operates in practice.
Some Nigerian companies were engaging earlier
While the conversation around industry-academia collaboration is gaining greater attention today, some Nigerian companies began exploring the model a few years ago.
Codix Pharma is one example.
Through its Codix Academy initiative, the company began working with educational institutions to provide students with exposure to healthcare technology and industry environments.
One of its more developed collaborations has been with Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), where a programme in Biosensors and Nanotechnology was introduced.