The Federal Government has launched the “Hire From Nigeria” campaign to create access to international employment opportunities for Nigerian youths without requiring them to relocate from the country. The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative at its official launch, where he called for stronger alignment between……
The Federal Government has launched the “Hire From Nigeria” campaign to create access to international employment opportunities for Nigerian youths without requiring them to relocate from the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative at its official launch, where he called for stronger alignment between Nigeria’s education and skills development system and the demands of the global labour market.
Alausa said the initiative was a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing the need to transform Nigeria’s large youthful population into a skilled and productive workforce.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education was strengthening the training pipeline to produce skilled, certified and industry-ready Nigerians capable of competing for jobs and contracts in the international market while working from Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, on Monday, the minister said more than 200,000 Nigerians were currently undergoing training across over 1,200 skills training centres.
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He said the programmes were increasingly adopting an 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theoretical model, with trainees assessed and certified through relevant national skills certification processes.
Alausa also announced plans for a Digital Technology Academy being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
The academy 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 designed to improve participants’ access to international technology opportunities.
The minister added that partnerships with global technology companies were also expanding digital training in tertiary institutions, with nearly 50 institutions already enrolled in the Amazon Web Services Online Academy.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, formally announced the launch of the campaign, describing it as a market-facing initiative aimed at connecting Nigerian talent and services with international employers, outsourcing companies and investors.
Oduwole said the campaign was being implemented through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) in partnership with private-sector and development organisations, with a target of creating one million export-linked jobs by 2030.
She said Nigeria already had a large professional workforce, growing technology ecosystem, strong services sector and a strategic time zone, but needed to convert these advantages into international contracts, export earnings and investments.
According to her, 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 said more than 90 per cent of the businesses surveyed were headquartered in Nigeria, while 41 per cent of digital entrepreneurs were below 35 years old and established firms already served an average of 2.6 international markets.
Oduwole said the campaign would be taken to the international market on September 24 during the 81st United Nations General Assembly at the Nigerian House in New York.
She said global employers, business process outsourcing buyers, investors and strategic partners would be presented with opportunities to hire Nigerian talent, award contracts and invest in the country’s services sector.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the campaign 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 the support of his ministry in promoting the campaign locally and internationally, citing Nigeria’s youthful population, English-language proficiency, entrepreneurial culture and expanding technology and creative sectors as advantages in the global services economy.
Former Minister and special guest at the event, Dr Sunday Dare, commended Alausa for promoting measurable progress in the education sector and supporting a 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 adequately trained and connected to international markets.
He described education as a critical instrument for reducing poverty and driving economic transformation.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and NATEP in the Office of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Dan-Okayi, said the programme was establishing institutional structures 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 added that the National Outsourcing Policy, expected in November 2026, would further strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in Business Process Outsourcing, Global Business Services and digitally delivered work.
The Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, said Nigeria had produced professionals and skilled workers contributing to economies globally but had not sufficiently commercialised the value of its talent.
He said the “Hire From Nigeria” campaign would address challenges relating to 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 initiative 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, private-sector organisations and development partners.
Alausa assured that the Ministry of Education would continue to deepen reforms aimed at making education more practical, industry-responsive and aligned with the changing world of work.
He said the ministry would also strengthen technical, vocational and digital training and certification to equip Nigerians for opportunities in the global economy.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu administration to transforming Nigeria’s youthful population into a skilled, productive and globally connected workforce capable of creating value domestically while contributing to the international economy
