Abstract
The phenomenon of unemployment among Nigerian graduates is a function of level of employability. This study examined the influence of academic factors on the employability of graduates in Ilorin South Local Government Area. The research design adopted was a descriptive survey method. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample respondents across various disciplines in Ilorin-south Local Government Area. A researcher's designed questionnaire was used for the study. The instrument used was subjected to a test retest method and found to have a reliability coefficient of 0.76 using Cronbach's alpha. Data were analysed using mean rating, the independent t-test and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that graduates were unemployed as a result of their laziness towards academic activities in school, involvement in examination malpractices, and poor curriculum implementation in tertiary institutions. There was no significant difference in the influence of academic discipline on the employability based on gender as well as educational level of graduates. It was concluded that unemployment among graduate was caused by their inability to be creative in their world. The implication of this study is that most graduates are unable to create jobs for themselves. Based on this, it was recommended that undergraduates in tertiary institutions should prepare for the competitive world of work by acquiring the technical, soft skills and academic factors that would increase their employability.