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Only 1 in 10 Global Workers Have In-Demand AI Skills—Study

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in-demand AI skills Digital Skills

Salesforce’s new digital skills survey shows that the vast majority of global workers think skills are more important than education qualifications or career background. Most people leaders (98%) believe the shift to skills-based hiring provides business benefits. Yet only 1 in 10 say they have AI skills — which is cited as one of today’s most in-demand digital skills. 

This article looks at the survey’s full findings, based on 11,000+ workers across 11 countries, and shares new data on how the workforce perceives the role that generative AI will play in the jobs of today and tomorrow. 

Eighty-four per cent of global workers consider the skills-based experience more important than a degree when trying to land a job in today’s market.

However, there’s a disconnect between the skills companies are hiring for and those currently used by the workforce. While 4 in 5 global workers report using digital skills in their day-to-day work, few report skills beyond collaboration technology, digital administration, and digital project management. 

In contrast, today’s fastest growing and in-demand skills as reported by workers include artificial intelligence (AI) and coding/app development — but they rank among the least used in workers’ day-to-day roles. 

The good news? There appears to be less fear — and more excitement — among workers about the potential of emerging technologies to transform the jobs of the future. This, paired with workers’ reported desire to learn new skills, suggests that companies can help close the digital skills gap by providing continuous, skills-based training to their employees.

A global movement toward skills-based hiring

The shift toward skills-based hiring is evident at all levels. Most (82%) people leaders surveyed said that skills are the most important attribute when evaluating candidates. Only 18% said that relevant degrees are the most important. 

Over half of people leaders (56%) cite talent retention as a business benefit to skills-based hiring. Increased workforce diversity (48%) and knowledge sharing (46%) also ranked highly.

Additionally, most people believe that prioritizing employees’ digital skills development will have positive impacts on wider business performance, citing increased productivity (47%), better team performance (43%), and improved problem-solving capabilities (40%).

Leaders and employees agree on the need for AI skills

Workers are excited about emerging AI technologies like generative AI. Sixty per cent of global workers reported excitement about the prospect of using generative AI for their job. In fact, more workers were excited about its use in their workplace (58%) than worried about it replacing them in their job (42%). This is in line with interest from management: Globally, two-thirds of people leaders(67%) say that their company is considering ways to use generative AI.

Despite this excitement, recent research shows that while over half of U.S.-based senior IT leaders say their business is currently using or experimenting with generative AI, 66% say their employees don’t have the skills to successfully leverage the technology. 

Workers agree that AI skills are important: Nearly one-fourth of global workers rank AI skills as among the top three most important digital skills right now. This number rises when asked about the importance of these skills over the next five years. 

As needs evolve, workplace skills lag

Despite its importance to their future skill set, only 1 in 10 workers say their day-to-day role currently involves AI. A mere 14% say their role involves other, related digital skills like encryption and cyber security, and a smaller 13% claim to use coding and app development skills. 

The industry indexing the highest for AI skills, specifically, is the technology industry, but even for this industry, less than a third of employees (27%) use AI skills within their roles today. Outside of traditional IT roles, this number drops further; less than 10% of those in healthcare (8%) and the public sector (6%) report they use AI skills in their day-to-day role. 

The path forward is upskilling. Nearly all (97%) global workers believe businesses should prioritize AI skills in their employee development strategy.

Upskilling is critical across wide swaths of these emerging technologies. As a result of the rise in AI and automation, people leaders say data security skills (60%), ethical AI and automation skills (58%), and programming skills (57%) will become increasingly important in the workplace. When asked what ‘soft’ skills will likely be more important as a result, people leaders ranked creative imaginative skills (56%), customer relationship skills (53%), and leadership skills (51%) highest.

Fortunately, companies seeking to boost emerging technology skills and focus on skills-based hiring have something going for them — workers want to expand their limited set of digital skills. Nine in 10 believe that businesses should prioritize digital skills development for their employees.

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UAC Foods Elevates CFO Temitope Omodele to CEO

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Temitope Omodele

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) powerhouse, UAC Foods Limited, has promoted its Chief Financial Officer, Mrs Temitope Omodele, to the position of chief executive.

The company, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria Plc (UACN), officially made the announcement on its official LinkedIn page.

The ex-KPMG executive has a big task ahead of her, particularly with UAC Foods now a N340 billion revenue company buoyed by its recent acquisition of CHI Limited. With the new appointment, the company positions the seasoned finance executive as the driving force to further increase the value of brands like Gala Sausage Roll, Supreme Ice Cream, Swan Natural Spring Water, and Funtime Chips.

In its announcement, UAC Foods described the appointment as “an exciting new chapter,” affirming that Mrs Omodele will continue to “drive operational excellence, innovation, sustainable growth and long-term

Mrs Omodele began her career at KPMG Professional Services, where she rose through the ranks, from Senior Associate to Senior Manager, providing audit and assurance services across Nigeria’s financial services, FMCG, power and utilities, and energy and natural resources sectors.

Her time at KPMG was marked by an unusual distinction where she was seconded to the Department of Professional Practice at KPMG Inc. South Africa, gaining cross-border exposure to international standards and methodologies.

Following her return to Nigeria, she helped found the Department of Professional Practice for KPMG Professional Services Nigeria.

She joined the UAC of Nigeria Plc group in September 2020, initially as Technical Accounting and Reporting Lead and quickly advanced to Senior Vice President of Finance, with oversight of group-wide finance operations and reporting for the holding company. In this role, she served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Livestock Feeds Plc, a fellow UACN subsidiary.

She was then promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer at UAC Foods Limited, expanding her operating-company exposure particularly around brand strategy, supply chain economics, and P&L accountability.

Mrs Omodele holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Lagos, supplemented by an Executive MBA from Lagos Business School at Pan-Atlantic University. She further completed Executive Education in data analytics and emerging technologies at the W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Originally established as the United African Company in 1879, the company has evolved into one of Nigeria’s oldest and firmest companies. The UAC Foods unit was formally constituted in 2010 through a joint venture with Tiger Brands, the South African packaged food giant. In 2021, UACN acquired Tiger Brands’ minority stake, assuming full ownership and with it, full strategic responsibility for the subsidiary’s future.

The company is best known for its flagship Gala Sausage Roll, which has led Nigeria’s sausage roll market for over 60 years, alongside other popular brands including Supreme Ice Cream, Swan Natural Spring Water, and Funtime Chips.

In 2025, UACN’s consolidated revenue surged further to N340.47 billion, bolstered by the landmark acquisition of CHI Limited (the maker of Chivita juice and Hollandia dairy products), though profitability came under pressure from elevated financing costs tied to that acquisition.

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Tinubu Okays Recruitment of 1,000 Forest Guards in Oyo

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Forest Guards

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State in collaboration with the state government.

This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Sunday.

The recruitment follows a visit to Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State by a high-powered federal government delegation on Sunday, May 31, 2026.

The team, led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, was in the local council following the abduction of pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School on May 15, 2026.

Residents of the communities were promised the safe return of the victims. They were also informed that their request for the establishment of a military base in the area would be conveyed to the President for consideration and approval.

In addition, Mr Tinubu has directed a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.

Mr Gbajabiamila, while addressing residents in both English and Yoruba, said the President’s decision to dispatch the nation’s top security leadership to the affected communities reflected his determination to deploy every available resource towards securing the victims’ release.

“Mr President is deeply troubled by this incident. Whatever it takes, our children and teachers will be brought back home safely. He has issued all necessary directives and is providing every support required by our security agencies to achieve that objective.

“Your pain and anxiety are understood. By the grace of God, your children will return safely to your arms.

“Mr President also saw the appeals from some parents and community members urging caution in the rescue efforts. Let me assure you that the operation will be intelligence-led and carefully coordinated, deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic measures to secure the safe return of the victims,” he said.

The delegation was also at the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso land, Mr Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, to commiserate with him and his people. The group also met with the wife of the deceased school teacher, Mrs Mary Oyedokun, and her two children.

Other members of the team were the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tunji Disu; the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa; and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr Sunday Dare.

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NCC Appoints Funke Opeke, ipNX’s Olusola Teniola to IPv6 Board

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olusola teniola ipNX

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The duo of Mr Olusola Teniola and Ms Funke Opeke are now on the newly inaugurated Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) council board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The team was constituted as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to IPv6.

It has Mr Muhammed Rudman as Chairman, Mr Chris Uwaje as Vice Chairman, and Ms Mary Uduma, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Mr Lanre Ajayi, and Mr Latif Ladid as members.

At the inauguration in Ikeja, Lagos, NCC said it created the group as part of its renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to IPv6, a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Teniola, a director at ipNX, expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.

He further emphasised that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.

“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag in an increasingly connected world,” he added.

The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country.

The team will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.

Mr Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.

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