Enhancing graduate employability skills and self-reliance through problem-solving and creative thinking among undergraduate students of public universities in North-Central Nigeria

As Nigeria increasingly seeks to achieve sustainable development which is key in 21st century, there is now a pressing re-thinking of how its educational systems can better prepare graduates who are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development and become employable, employers of labour and self-reliant. Hence, this study investigated and explored how problem-solving methodology affects creative thinking skills for employability and self-reliance among undergraduate students in public universities in North-central Nigeria. Three objectives and three null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey and correlational research designs were employed for the study. The population of the study consisted of all (229, 365) undergraduate students in public universities in North-central Nigeria, while the sample size was made up of 364 respondents from the population of the study. A researcher structured questionnaire validated by experts in the university of Abuja was the main instrument employed for data collection. Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analysis were the inferential statistics employed for the hypotheses. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between problem-solving method and creative thinking skills (r = 0.280, p < .001), while other results further indicated positive significant effect of problem-solving method on employability among students with unstandardized coefficient (B = 0.214, p<.001), and positive significant effect of problem-solving method on self-reliance among undergraduate students in public universities in North-Central Nigeria with unstandardized coefficient (B = 0.285, p<.001). Although the modest R² values suggest that other additional factors could influence these outcomes. The study recommended amongst others, the need to incorporate problem-solving and creative programmes in the context of students’ learning to enhance their readiness to manage challenges in the existing and future labour market. Rethinking education to emphasize problem-solving and creative thinking skills and ability is essential for preparing students for the complexities of the rapidly changing world where adaptability, innovation, and independence are key. Keywords: Rethinking Education, Problem Solving, Creative Thinking, Employability, Self-Reliance.