Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Government has launched the “Hire from Nigeria” campaign, a major public-private initiative aimed at positioning Nigeria as a trusted global source of skilled talent and digitally delivered services, while advancing the country’s target of creating one million export-linked jobs by 2030. This was contained in a statement signed by Obilor-Duru Augustina Okechi, Head, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The campaign, launched at Radio House, Abuja, brings together the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), the Bank of Industry’s iDICE Programme, Tech4Dev, the Mastercard Foundation and other private-sector and development partners.
Speaking at the launch, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described the initiative as a strategic shift towards a demand-driven approach that connects Nigeria’s growing pool of skilled professionals directly with opportunities in international markets.
She said Nigeria possesses significant competitive advantages, including a large and youthful population, a growing pool of skilled professionals, strong English-language proficiency, an expanding technology ecosystem and increasing capabilities across technology, creative services, business support and other digitally delivered services.
Dr. Oduwole explained that the National Talent Export Programme, launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023, is building the national architecture required to transform Nigeria’s demographic strength into sustainable employment, export earnings and investment opportunities.
According to the Minister, NATEP is advancing towards its one million export-linked jobs target through strategic initiatives, including the National Coordination Mechanism for Services Exports, the Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network and the development of Nigeria’s first National Outsourcing Policy, scheduled for launch in November 2026.
“The ‘Hire from Nigeria’ campaign is more than a communications initiative,” Dr. Oduwole said. “It is a national economic proposition designed to make Nigerian talent and service providers easier for international employers and businesses to discover, trust and hire.”
The Minister further announced that the campaign would be taken to the global stage during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Nigerian talent providers and service companies will engage global employers, outsourcing buyers, investors and strategic partners to create concrete hiring, contracting and investment opportunities.
Also speaking, the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the campaign presents a significant opportunity to place Nigeria’s human capital at the centre of the country’s economic engagement with the rest of the world.
He said the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation would deploy its communication platforms, agencies and strategic partnerships to ensure that the story of Nigerian talent is communicated clearly, credibly and consistently to domestic and international audiences.
“With the right skills, infrastructure, professional standards and access to markets, Nigerians can work from home and provide services to clients and businesses anywhere in the world,” the Minister stated.
Mohammed Idris described the initiative as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on job creation, economic diversification, skills development and the empowerment of Nigeria’s young population.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, highlighted the Federal Government’s investments in technical and vocational education, digital skills and emerging technologies as critical to preparing Nigerians for opportunities in the evolving global economy.
He said the Government is strengthening capacity in high-demand areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and software development to build an increasingly competitive and industry-ready workforce.
According to Dr. Alausa, more than 200,000 Nigerians are currently undergoing training through technical and vocational education programmes, while plans are underway to establish a Digital Technology Academy expected to train more than 35,000 Nigerians in critical technology fields.
He added that the Ministry is expanding digital and entrepreneurship training through partnerships with educational institutions and technology companies to ensure that Nigerians are properly trained, certified and equipped to compete effectively for opportunities in the global marketplace.
In her welcome remarks, the Senior Special Assistant on Strategy and Communications to the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Olajumoke Dan-Okayi, described the launch as the next phase of an agenda designed to translate Nigeria’s enormous talent potential into jobs, services exports and increased participation in the global economy.
She noted that NATEP, which was launched at the margins of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in 2023, was established to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for talent sourcing, talent export and services exports.
According to her, the Programme is building systems that connect Nigerian skills and service capabilities with real domestic and international demand, including the National Coordination Mechanism for Services Exports and the Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network.
Mrs. Dan-Okayi also highlighted Nigeria’s participation as a country partner for the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2026, noting that the engagement would strengthen the country’s understanding of how technology, evolving business models and global economic shifts are reshaping workforce demand.
She said the forthcoming National Outsourcing Policy would provide an important framework for strengthening industry standards, improving competitiveness, building employer and investor confidence and supporting the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s outsourcing industry.
“The ‘Hire from Nigeria’ campaign is not a standalone communications initiative,” she said. “It is the market-facing expression of NATEP’s broader work to create stronger pathways between Nigerian talent and service providers and opportunities in global markets.”
Mrs. Dan-Okayi added that the campaign’s engagement at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in September would bring together global employers, outsourcing buyers, operators, investors and strategic partners to develop credible hiring and outsourcing pipelines capable of translating into tangible jobs, contracts and investment opportunities.
The Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Mr. Joel Ogunshola, described the campaign as an important opportunity to reshape global perceptions of Nigerian talent and deliberately connect the country’s skilled workforce with international demand.
He noted that while Nigeria has exported talent to the world for decades, the country has not always captured the full economic value associated with the skills and capabilities of its people.
According to him, the campaign is built around three central objectives: making Nigeria easier to discover, Nigerian talent easier to trust and Nigerians easier to hire.
Mr. Ogunshola urged the media and other stakeholders to project Nigeria’s workforce as a story of capability, professionalism, innovation and economic opportunity.
The Federal Government and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to working with Tech4Dev, the Mastercard Foundation, iDICE and other development and private-sector partners to convert the campaign into structured employer pipelines, outsourcing contracts and investment opportunities.
The “Hire from Nigeria” campaign is expected to strengthen connections between Nigerian professionals and global employers, while supporting the expansion of outsourcing contracts, digitally delivered services, services exports, foreign exchange inflows and investment.
The initiative, the partners stressed, is not an appeal for goodwill but a clear commercial proposition to global employers seeking access to a skilled, competitive and increasingly technology-enabled workforce.
By strengthening the visibility, credibility and global accessibility of Nigerian professionals and service companies, the campaign is expected to create stronger pathways into international markets and deepen Nigeria’s participation in global value chains.
The central message is clear:
Nigeria has the talent. The world has the demand. “Hire from Nigeria” is building the pathway between them.
END
