Skills and experience have non-negotiable importance, no matter where you live or work. However, the nature of work and employment opportunities can vary depending on different markets, workplaces, and countries. Some factors play a role in deciding what works where, such as a country’s economic, social, and geographical structure and position. Since Nigeria is an agrarian economy, a chief portion of the population is connected to farming and trading. The oil and gas sector has the second largest share. However, its economic structure is transforming and broadening to include more diversity and versatility. 

Banking, healthcare, information technology, and other service-providing industries have created much flexibility for educated youth to pursue careers of their choice. The expanding entertainment industry and digital media platforms have also boosted self-employment. Now, people can also pursue little-known or unconventional careers like fashion designing, photography, web design, software development, blogging, vlogging, and other creative and entrepreneurial options to make a living. 

The point is that Nigeria’s employment industries are versatile like elsewhere globally. But versatility and diversity have also raised bars for competitiveness. Hence, knowledge, skills, and experience are still preliminary requirements to hunt and secure a high-paying job. So, do not confuse diversity with relaxation. And be prepared to build a strong impression with an impactful resume. 

Explore some potential career options and prepare yourself accordingly. Also, check out the list of the highest paying jobs in Nigeria to determine which one aligns with your career aspirations. 

Career success demands exceptional skill sets and capabilities. Let’s see which ones are in demand in Nigeria. 

1. Leadership

Leadership is a must-have skill to succeed in evolving, competitive, and multidisciplinary workplaces. Leadership is a generic term for soft skills like critical thinking, foresightedness, organization, management, collaboration, communication, and teamwork. These skills instill flexibility, adaptability, understanding, and perceptive qualities. 

Leaders possess the capability to lead other teammates, understand and overcome individual differences, accommodate diversity, and ensure coordination. They’re also better at managing their roles and responsibilities independently where necessary. Employees with such behavioral versatility can adjust to any work environment without obstacles and fulfill their commitments. Generally, executives, directors, managers, coordinators, administrators, and other key position holders are expected to exhibit such traits and qualities. But nowadays, employers expect other lower and mid-level staff members to be well-versed. And it is a universally demanded employability trait whether you are looking for jobs in Nigeria or elsewhere. 

2. Time Management

Time management is a valuable soft skill for every personal and occupational endeavor. It helps prioritize and manage workload and assignments and prevent eleventh-hour headaches. In contrast, poor time management is one of the chief reasons for unnecessary overtime and mounting work pressure. It causes needless chaos and affects performance, outcomes, and work quality. 

For instance, if you’re a healthcare worker, time management is a crucial skill to possess. You can jeopardize patients’ health and well-being if you lack this skill. Lives are literally at stake in hospitals, so even minutes of mismanagement can cause someone an irreparable loss to their life. In short, better time management skills are inevitable to succeed in any professional setting, whether you work in Nigeria or elsewhere.

3. Effective Communication

Effective communication has a central role in many workplaces. Effective communication skills have high value in personal, social, and professional interactions. This skill is even more essential in jobs where interaction is integral, such as healthcare and business. For instance, patients do not just need treatment to get better. They need sympathy and an empathic attitude to feel understood. They know where they may have observed negligence and endangered their health, so criticism and harsh words from a caregiver will only hurt them. But your compassionate words can help them brace up and hold onto hope. The selection of better words, tone, courtesy, and consideration can influence them and positively affect patient outcomes. 

And it applies to other occupations as well. So, polish your communication skills to adapt and flourish wherever you work. Almost every job description highlights effective communication skills. Employers prefer workers who understand, express, negotiate, and respond well rather than merely replicating commands.

4. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence entails the ability to comprehend and regulate your emotions healthily. Better self-awareness and management also help us understand, empathize with others, and adjust well to different situations. 

Studies suggest that emotionally intelligent individuals are more composed, calm, and stable in crises and emergencies. They’re mentally strong, determined, and foresighted in their pursuits, which helps them stay focused, perform better, and achieve their goals. Emotional intelligence has practical implications for personal and professional life. With better self-management capabilities, you can deal with personal and professional pressure without stressing out. Employers also prefer strong-willed and mentally and emotionally stable individuals for central and decisive positions like team managers, supervisors, coordinators, and policymakers. They help encourage and motivate workers, improve harmony, and create a conducive and positive work environment for better outcomes. If you aim for high-paying careers in Nigeria, polish your emotional intelligence skills. 

5. Technology Skills

Technological skills are highly demanded in today’s commercial landscape, where every process, function, operation, and activity is digitized and shifts to virtual platforms. Technology skills include knowledge and expertise in web development, computer programming languages, graphic designing, artificial intelligence, software management, hardware repairs, data management and analysis, digital security, and other IT-related skills. 

Technological expertise is essential to thrive and succeed in this modern and digitally interconnected world. With polished technology skills, you can get a job in IT-related firms in Nigeria. These skills are also highly demanded in other sectors, as almost every organization and business automates its processes and leverages advanced technological tools. They need IT technicians, software developers, programmers, and coding experts to look after and manage their affairs in a complex digital world. These experts earn way more than other workers in well-established firms. You can also utilize your skills in your free time, connect to international clients, and offer them technical solutions via freelancing.

Conclusion

Nigeria is a growing economy in the African continent. As such, finding a job will be easy, given the expansion and improvement in the industrial and services sectors. However, lucrative employment opportunities require skills and impressive academic credentials. The more you invest in personal development and upskilling, the earlier you can land high-paying, stable careers. So, if you want to land a lucrative career in Nigeria, hone these skills and begin your job search.