Digital-first Mekaria seeks to prepare Nigerian youths for global jobs — Ojo

As Nigeria grapples with a widening gap between classroom learning and employer demands, Adedayo Ojo, chairman of the Governing Council of Mekaria Institute of Technology & Administration, says the digital-first institution was established to equip young Nigerians with globally relevant, work-ready skills. In this interview with BusinessDay’s Wasiu Alli, he discusses Mekaria’s education model, affordability, governance, and its ambition to position Obosi as a hub for tech talent and digital innovation. Excerpt:

What is the foundational principle of the Mekaria Institute of Technology & Administration?

Let me begin by saying Mekaria is a modern, digital-first institute located in Obosi, Anambra State. Our core mandate is simple: to bridge the gap between traditional education and the global digital economy.

The Mekaria Institute of Technology & Administration, Obosi, was founded on an Igbo philosophy, emekaria, which means “doing more, doing better”.

Too many of our young people graduate with certificates but not with competence.

At Mekaria, we flipped that. Every course we offer, from Cybersecurity to Software Engineering, digital marketing, and project management, is “work-ready”. Our students don’t just learn theory; they build portfolios, solve real problems, and learn skills valued by the global digital economy.

Our goal is simple: to produce Nigerian youths who can think, build, and serve. With that as our focus, Mekaria won’t just train students but will become an infrastructure for innovation in the South East. That is the Mekaria Spirit.

Looking at the stated objective, why is the institute located in Obosi?

We chose Obosi deliberately, as it is already an education hub in Idemili North, home to ASCOHT and the John Bosco Institute. But we saw a gap: too many brilliant South East young people graduate with certificates but lack what we regard as “work-ready” skills. Mekaria was founded to fix that.

We don’t just teach theory; we train students for jobs and a job market that already exists today – cybersecurity, software engineering, digital marketing, and cloud networking – and we build credit transfer paths so they can go on to acquire their HND/BSc certificates later. ‘Mekaria’ essentially means ‘doing more, doing better’, and for us, that is not a slogan for us; it’s our curriculum design philosophy.

At Mekaria, it is our firm belief that if our universities and institutes produce citizens who can think, build, and serve, the South East won’t just catch up; the geopolitical zone will leap forward in different aspects of development.

What would you say sets Mekaria out from the large pool of polytechnics and colleges across Nigeria or even in the Southeast?

Three things set Mekaria out: speed, skills and pathways. Speed, because we’re digital-first – applications are online, and some interviews are virtual, as our courses are project- and portfolio-based, not just exam-based. Second is about skills.

Every ND course must answer one question: “Can this student earn after 2 years?” That’s why we teach Content Production, Cybersecurity, and Digital Marketing—skills for which companies hire remotely and from anywhere in the world. And that is because we are aware that a certificate without competence is nothing more than a piece of paper.

The third is about Pathways. Parents always ask, “What is next after ND?” At Mekaria, we have structured credit transfer agreements. This way, Mekaria ND graduates don’t get stuck; it is easier for them to move forward.

Apart from the requirements, do you believe the fees are affordable for the average Anambra State indigene or resident?

“Among our expectations is that startups, freelancers, and digital agencies will spin out, as a student trained in digital marketing can serve up to ten businesses located in Obosi. This means we are not just producing graduates but also increasing the pool of employers.”

We want to offer access without lowering standards. For the 2025/2026 ND, what is a JAMB score of 100+ and 5 O’level credits in relevant subjects make fees quite affordable: ranging from N80,000 to N130,000, depending on the course of study. That range is deliberate; we are benchmarked against federal polytechnics but with added value in terms of smaller class sizes, more lab time, and industry mentors.

We’re also exploring payment plans and merit scholarships because the Mekaria Spirit holds that talent shouldn’t be wasted because of money. For us, affordability isn’t about being the cheapest; it’s about delivering the best value for what a parent or guardian invests.

As Chairman of the Governing Council, what is your primary mandate regarding quality and governance?

Excellence is not an event at Mekaria; it’s our daily checklist, and my job is to guard the purpose of the institute as well as the standards. The council ensures we never drift into becoming a ‘certificate mill’. To this end, we approve the curriculum, recruit top faculty, and monitor outcomes.

Every year, we ask ourselves: how many Mekaria students secured internships? How many built-in apps are there that are not just functional but also impactful? Also, we monitor to see those who secured networks and how many successfully transferred credits, among others. We are also pursuing full NBTE accreditation updates and forming partnerships with tech companies. Governance here means discipline, transparency, and accountability—the same moral courage that defines the Mekaria spirit.

What impact do you expect Mekaria to have on Obosi and the broader South East?

We expect a measurable impact both in terms of local and global perspectives. We want Mekaria students to be the first call for website design, cybersecurity, and content for Obosi SMEs looking to hire; for them to stop hiring designers or IT support from Lagos. That alone would keep the money circulating here.

We also believe the institute will make Obosi known for tech talent, thereby reshaping the town’s identity from just being known for health/vocational skills. One of the immediate results of this is that local SMEs would hire Mekaria students first, thereby increasing the local economy.

Among our expectations is that startups, freelancers, and digital agencies will spin out, as a student trained in digital marketing can serve up to ten businesses located in Obosi. This means we are not just producing graduates but also increasing the pool of employers.

On the global impact, the South East has the talent for remote work but lacks training institutions aligned with that purpose. Mekaria will equip Anambra youths to earn in dollars while living at home and will ultimately reduce the Japa pressure. If we produced 500 job-ready grads in 3 years, we would have changed the fortunes of at least 500 families.