Re: The Silent Omission — Printing Left Out of Nigeria’s Skills Development Agenda
This my rejoinder is basically directed to all Esteemed Stakeholders and Current Managers of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria
I write with a deep sense of responsibility—not in hostility, but in truth, concern, and a genuine desire for the future preservation and advancement of the printing profession in Nigeria.
Before proceeding, I sincerely acknowledge and appreciate the intellectual contributions of Rasheed Afolabi, Kingsley Mbachu, and others whose well-articulated article, “The Silent Omission: Printing Left Out of Nigeria’s Skills Development Agenda,” has brought this critical issue to the forefront.
Having carefully reflected on the article, a troubling reality emerges: the printing industry—an essential pillar in national development—is being structurally sidelined at a time when skills standardization is gaining national prominence.
The Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), as established by the National Board for Technical Education, is designed to standardize, recognize, and advance vocational competencies across industries, ensuring quality, progression, and relevance in skills development. Yet, the omission of printing from this framework raises serious concerns about advocacy, representation, and leadership within the profession.
This brings me to the heart of this letter.
A Profession without Professional Leadership
It is both concerning and disheartening that the very institution meant to champion, regulate, and elevate the printing profession—the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria—appears to be under the dominant influence of individuals whose primary orientation leans more toward commercial interests than professional depth.
Let it be stated without ambiguity:
Printing is not merely a business—it is a technical, intellectual, and industrial profession.
It requires:
• Structured training
• Professional certification
• Standardization
• Continuous technological adaptation
Those whose professional grounding in printing may not be sufficiently deep assume control of such an institution, the focus inevitably shifts:
• From standards to survival
• From competence to convenience
• From development to revenue generation
The Consequence: Strategic Irrelevance:
The exclusion of printing from the national skills framework is not accidental—it is symptomatic.
It reflects:
• Weak institutional advocacy
• Absence of credible professional representation
• Failure to engage policymakers at the highest levels
While other sectors organize, define standards, and secure recognition, printing remains fragmented—without a strong, unified, and professional voice.
Implications for the Future: A Defining Crossroad:
The present situation is not merely an administrative lapse—it is a defining moment that will shape the next decade of the printing industry in Nigeria.
If core professionals and skilled practitioners are restored to leadership and influence:
Within the next five years:
• The industry can regain national relevance through deliberate engagement with frameworks like the NSQF
• Structured training and certification pathways will improve workforce quality and employability
• Quackery and substandard practices will significantly reduce
• Adoption of modern printing technologies will accelerate
• The profession will begin to speak with a stronger, more credible voice in policy circles
Within the next ten years:
• Printing can become fully professionalized, with recognized standards comparable to other established professions
• Nigerian printers can compete globally, opening doors to export and international partnerships
• The industry can generate sustainable employment and contribute meaningfully to industrial growth
• Innovation and specialization (e.g., packaging, security printing, and industrial printing) will thrive
• Institutional credibility and continuity will be firmly established
A Critical and Imminent Risk: Collapse of Training Institutions
Beyond policy exclusion, a more immediate and dangerous consequence is already looming—the possible closure of training institutions dedicated to printing and graphic arts.
Where a profession is not formally recognized within national skills frameworks:
• Academic programmes lose relevance and accreditation value
• Student enrollment declines sharply
• Funding and institutional support diminish
• Qualified instructors exit due to lack of prospects
Over time, departments within polytechnics, technical colleges, and vocational centres face downsizing—or outright closure.
The implications are far-reaching and severe:
• A broken pipeline of skilled manpower, leaving the industry starved of competent professionals
• Loss of institutional knowledge and technical heritage built over decades
• Increased dependence on informal, unstructured training systems
• Expansion of low-skill, low-quality production practices
• Weakening of Nigeria’s capacity in critical areas such as packaging, publishing, and security printing
In essence, when training institutions collapse, the profession does not merely decline—it loses its future at the foundation level.
The Alternative Reality (If Nothing Changes)
If the current trajectory persists:
In five years:
• Further fragmentation and weakening of standards
• Continued exclusion from national development frameworks
• Noticeable decline or shutdown of specialized training programmes
In ten years:
• Near-total erosion of structured professional training
• Dominance of unregulated practitioners
• Loss of relevance in the face of digital disruption
• Eventual marginalization of the profession within Nigeria’s industrial landscape
This is not alarmism—it is a realistic and evidence-based projection.
A Direct Appeal:
To those currently steering the affairs of the Institute without the requisite professional depth:
This is not an accusation—it is a call to reflection.
• Are you building a profession or merely controlling an institution?
• Are you advancing standards or protecting interests?
• Are you preparing the next generation or presiding over the silent collapse of its training foundations?
History will not remember titles—it will remember impact.
The Way Forward
For the printing profession to regain its rightful place within Nigeria’s development agenda:
1. Return the Institute to Professional Leadership
Leadership must be driven by certified practitioners, academics, and industry experts.
2. Engage the NSQF Framework Deliberately
Develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) for printing and align with national skill structures.
3. Revitalize and Protect Training Institutions
Actively support printing departments in polytechnics and technical colleges through curriculum alignment, industry partnerships, and advocacy for inclusion.
4. Separate Regulation from Commercial Interests
A regulatory body must be guided by professional integrity, not profit motives.
5. Promote Competence Over Patronage
Membership and leadership must reflect skill, experience, and merit—not access or influence.
Final Word
A profession that loses control of its standards loses its future—but a profession that neglects its training institutions destroys that future entirely.
The omission of printing today may become the erosion—and eventual collapse—of its relevance tomorrow, if urgent and decisive steps are not taken.
This is a moment that demands courage, humility, and correction.
Do the needful—not for position, but for posterity—and for the survival of a profession that must not be allowed to fade into irrelevance.”
Yours sincerely,
Kunle Adebambo
A Concerned Stakeholder in the Printing Profession
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