Abstract
The higher education institutions (HEIs) have been construed as a hub where skilled labour is
produced for societal and global consumption. This is premised on the fact that pedagogy delivered
at this level is key in improving human capital which broadens employment opportunities among
construction graduates. However, there seems to be disparate views about the skills required and
those possessed by graduates from various HEIs in Nigeria. Consequently, a number of present day
graduates are either underemployed or jobless. Through a structured questionnaire survey, this
paper identifies the various skills that enable graduates to succeed in the Nigerian construction
industry. The sample for this study consisted of one hundred and twenty-six (126) respondents drawn
from professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. Factor analysis reveals five clusters as the
expected skills for graduate success, listed in the order of importance as critical thinking and
workplace skills, academic and management skills, personal skills, work ethics and business skills,
and technical and leadership skills. The study suggests that for present day graduates to meet the
needs of the construction industry, HEIs are required to identify various approaches of upscaling
construction education. Present day students should also seek to improve their non-academic skills
to a reasonable extent before they transit into the construction industry. The study, therefore,
recommends that the Nigerian university curriculum should be revisited and revamped to reflect
key courses that will improve the skills of students so as to enable them to meet the rising needs of
the Nigerian construction industry.