To boost employment and position Nigeria as a global talent hub, the Nigerian government has officially launched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP). This programme is designed to generate at least one million jobs over the next five years as a specialised initiative.
Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, made this announcement during an event titled “Positioning Nigeria as a Global Talent Hub” on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.
The NATEP initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda, which emphasises economic diversification, creating sustainable opportunities, and generating approximately 50 million jobs for the nation’s youth.
Minister Uzoka-Anite emphasised NATEP’s significance as a special-purpose vehicle aimed at establishing Nigeria as a leading global hub for service export, talent sourcing, and talent export.
“NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service export, talent sourcing and talent export.
“As part of our strategy towards achieving this, his excellency President Bola Tinubu whose agenda for job creation, we have initiated a national talent export programme for Nigeria, which targets the creation of 1 million jobs across Nigeria over five years. NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special-purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service exports, talent sourcing and talent export.
“The Nigerian government under the leadership of President Bala Tinubu as part of the renewed hope agenda is committed to diversifying the economy and creating sustainable employment opportunities, especially for youth by creating 50 million jobs. This is in tandem with the theme of this year’s UNGA, rebuilding trust and igniting global solidarity, accelerating action on the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all,” Uzoka-Anite added.
Highlighting the substantial market potential, data shows that the global talent-sourcing industry was valued at $620 billion in 2020, with a projected value of approximately $904 billion by 2027. Nigeria, with its annual influx of over 1.7 million higher education graduates into the workforce, has the capability to provide top-tier talent for the global service export and outsourcing industry.
Nigeria’s readiness to become a global talent export hub will leverage the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACfTA) to access vast markets across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and more.
NATEP: Nigeria’s Vision to Attract Global Talent
In response to the launch of NATEP, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, noted its timeliness and the importance of retaining top talents within the country. He stressed that Nigeria should capitalise on its talent pool to drive economic development.
Dr. Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), expressed WEF’s support for the NATEP initiative and its commitment to enhancing workforce skills through reskilling and upskilling.
The official launch of NATEP featured a panel discussion moderated by Amal Hassan, CEO of Outsource Global. The event also included insights from Adaora Ikenza, Head of Policy for West and Central Africa for Meta, and Dr. Ola Williams, Country Representative for Microsoft Nigeria.
