Purpose – As the UK marks a decade since the introduction of degree apprenticeships, sparking international interest in work-integrated models of Higher Education (HE), this paper shifts focus to Nigeria, a former British colony where global pressures, national priorities, and inherited academic traditions converge. Situated within a postcolonial context, Nigeria continues to grapple with British-influenced educational ideals while increasingly seeking to transform its HE system in response to youth unemployment and global competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach – This study investigates how HE is constructed in public discourse through a media analysis of three Nigerian news media, Punch, Daily Trust, and Daily Post, between 2021 and 2022, following the introduction of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) policy. The study combines thematic and discourse-historical approaches to analyse dominant media narratives and identify which voices influence public debates. Bourdieu's capital and institutional habitus logic guide the interpretation of how power and ideology shape media representations of HE. Findings – The analysis identifies two main framings: HE as a pipeline for producing future workers and as a site increasingly focused on vocational, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurial training. Also, there is a hegemonic construction of HE in Nigeria, where academics and the government have prominent voices in the media. The findings visibilised the need for more inclusive conversations about HE's role, involving a wider range of stakeholders. Originality/value – This paper adds a Southern perspective to international debates on HE reform, showing how apprenticeship-like models, though not formally institutionalised, are discursively promoted through media narratives advocating for employability, entrepreneurship, and work-readiness in Nigerian HE. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited
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