By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Nigerian youths with skills in technology, professional services and creative industries are being positioned for opportunities beyond the country’s borders, without necessarily having to cross those borders themselves.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, made this known at the official launch of the “Hire From Nigeria” Campaign, on Monday, calling for stronger alignment between Nigeria’s education and skills development system and the growing demand for Nigerian talent in the global economy.
“Nigerians must be equipped to secure international employment and deliver services to global employers while working from Nigeria, describing the initiative as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education was strengthening the pipeline of skilled, certified and industry-ready Nigerians capable of competing successfully in the international labour market and transforming the country’s youthful population into a productive economic asset.
“More than 200,000 Nigerians are currently undergoing training across over 1,200 skills training centres, with programmes increasingly adopting an 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theoretical model.
“The trainees are assessed and certified through the relevant national skills certification processes, giving them recognised qualifications to improve their access to employment opportunities,” the minister added.
Alausa 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 software development, cybersecurity, IT automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, cloud computing and quantum computing.
“The six-to-eight-month programme would provide professional certifications to improve participants’ access to international technology opportunities,” the minister noted.
He also revealed that partnerships with global technology companies, including Amazon Web Services, were expanding digital training in tertiary institutions, with nearly 50 institutions already onboarded onto the AWS Online Academy.
Alausa assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to deepen reforms that make education more practical, industry-responsive and aligned with the changing world of work, while strengthening technical, vocational and digital training and certification.
He affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s youthful population into a skilled, productive and globally connected workforce capable of creating value at home and contributing meaningfully to the international economy.
Formally announcing the “Hire From Nigeria” Campaign, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described it as a market-facing initiative designed to position Nigerian talent and services before international employers, outsourcing companies and investors.
Oduwole said the campaign, implemented through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) in partnership with private-sector and development partners, is targeting one million export-linked jobs by 2030.
Nigeria already possesses a substantial professional workforce, a growing technology ecosystem, a strong services base and a strategic time zone, stressing that the priority is to convert these advantages into international contracts, export earnings and investment, she said.
Oduwole disclosed that NATEP, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, had developed a digital services survey and directory mapping Nigerian service providers across 17 sectors.
According to her, more than 90 per cent of the businesses surveyed are headquartered in Nigeria, while 41 per cent of digital entrepreneurs are below 35 years and established firms already serve an average of 2.6 international markets.
She added that the Hire From Nigeria proposition would be taken to the international market during the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 24 at the Nigerian House in New York.
Global employers, BPO buyers, investors and strategic partners are expected to explore opportunities for hiring Nigerian talent, securing contracts and investing in the country.
On the communication dimension of the campaign, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the initiative reflects the changing nature of international trade, where knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services can be delivered across borders without the movement of physical goods.
Idris pledged the communication support of his Ministry to promote the campaign nationally and internationally, pointing to Nigeria’s youthful population, English-language proficiency, entrepreneurial culture and growing technology and creative sectors as strong advantages in the global services economy.
On his part, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications as well as the Special Guest, Dr. Sunday Dare, commended Alausa for presenting measurable progress in the education sector and supporting the shift from predominantly theoretical learning to practical and technical skills.
Dare said Nigeria’s young and technology-driven population could build globally competitive technology and outsourcing industries if effectively trained and connected to international markets, describing education as a critical instrument for reducing poverty and driving economic transformation.
Providing further insight into the NATEP framework, Senior Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and NATEP, Office of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Dan-Okayi, said the programme was building the institutional structures required to expand Nigeria’s participation in talent and services exports.
Dan-Okayi 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 framework.
She also disclosed that the National Outsourcing Policy, expected in November 2026, would strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in Business Process Outsourcing, Global Business Services and digitally delivered work.
Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Mr. Joel Ogunsola, said Nigeria has produced professionals and skilled workers who contribute to economies around the world but has not sufficiently commercialised the value of that talent.
Ogunsola said Hire From Nigeria 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 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.
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