The Federal Government has launched the ‘Hire From Nigeria’ Campaign, targeting one million export-linked jobs for Nigerians by 2030 as part of efforts to position the country’s young workforce to compete in the global labour and services market.
The campaign, led by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), seeks to connect Nigerian professionals, digital workers, creatives and other skilled workers with international employers without requiring them to relocate from the country. This was disclosed in a statement signed by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser ( Media and Communications).
Maruf Tunji Alausa, speaking at the official launch of the campaign, Minister of Education, said the initiative underscores the need to align Nigeria’s education and skills development system with changing demands in the global economy.
Alausa said the Federal Ministry of Education was strengthening the pipeline of skilled, certified and industry-ready Nigerians capable of competing successfully for international opportunities.
He disclosed that more than 200,000 Nigerians are currently undergoing training across over 1,200 skills training centres, with programmes increasingly adopting an 80 percent practical and 20 per cent theoretical model.
According to him, trainees are assessed and certified through relevant national skills certification processes to improve their employability and competitiveness.
“The initiative as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and an opportunity to transform Nigeria’s youthful population into a productive economic asset. The Ministry of Education is strengthening the pipeline of skilled, certified and industry-ready Nigerians capable of competing successfully in the international labour market,” the statement read
The minister also highlighted the planned Digital Technology Academy, being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, which is expected to train more than 35,000 Nigerians in areas including software development, cybersecurity, IT automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, cloud computing and quantum computing.
He said the six-to-eight-month programme would provide professional certifications aimed at improving participants’ access to international technology jobs and opportunities.
Alausa added that partnerships with global technology companies were also expanding digital training in tertiary institutions, noting that nearly 50 institutions had already been onboarded onto the Amazon Web Services Online Academy.
Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who formally announced the campaign, described ‘Hire From Nigeria’ as a market-facing initiative designed to position Nigerian talent and services before international employers, outsourcing companies and investors.
She said Nigeria already had a substantial professional workforce, growing technology ecosystem, strong services base and strategic time zone, adding that the priority was to convert these advantages into international contracts, export earnings and investment.
Oduwole said NATEP, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, had developed a digital services survey and directory mapping Nigerian service providers across 17 sectors.
She disclosed that more than 90 percent of the businesses surveyed were headquartered in Nigeria, while 41 percent of digital entrepreneurs were below 35 years and established firms already served an average of 2.6 international markets.
The minister said the campaign would be taken to the international market during the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 24 at the Nigerian House in New York, where global employers, business process outsourcing buyers, investors and strategic partners are expected to explore hiring, contracting and investment opportunities.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said the initiative reflected the changing nature of international trade, where knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services could be delivered across borders without the movement of physical goods.
Idris pledged his ministry’s support for the campaign, saying Nigeria’s youthful population, English-language proficiency, entrepreneurial culture and growing technology and creative sectors provide significant advantages in the global services economy.
Sunday Dare, Former Minister and Special Guest, commended the initiative, saying Nigeria’s young and technology-driven population could build globally competitive technology and outsourcing industries if effectively trained and connected to international markets.
He described education as a critical instrument for reducing poverty and driving economic transformation, while urging stronger emphasis on practical and technical skills.
Providing further insight into the NATEP framework, Olajumoke Dan-Okayi, Senior Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and NATEP, Office of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the programme was building the institutional structures required to expand Nigeria’s participation in talent and services exports.
She identified the National Coordination Mechanism for Services Exports, Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network and Nigeria’s participation as a Country Partner for the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2026 as key components of the programme.
Dan-Okayi also said the National Outsourcing Policy, expected in November 2026, would further strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in Business Process Outsourcing, Global Business Services and other forms of digitally delivered work.
Joel Ogunsola, the Founder and President of Tech4Dev, said Nigeria had produced professionals and skilled workers contributing to economies around the world but had not sufficiently commercialised the value of that talent.
He said the Hire From Nigeria campaign would address barriers around discoverability, trust and access by creating clearer pathways for graduates, technically trained workers, digital professionals, non-graduates and creatives to secure international opportunities while working from Nigeria.
The campaign brings together the Federal Ministries of Education, Industry, Trade and Investment, Information and National Orientation, Labour and Employment, and Foreign Affairs, alongside NATEP, Tech4Dev, the Bank of Industry’s iDICE programme, universities and other private-sector and development partners.
The Ministry of Education said it would continue to deepen reforms aimed at making education more practical, industry-responsive and aligned with the changing world of work.
He said the government would strengthen technical, vocational and digital training and certification as part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s youthful population into a skilled, productive and globally connected workforce capable of creating value at home while contributing to the international economy.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
