By Becky Momodu
The Federal Government has launched the “Hire from Nigeria” campaign in Abuja, an initiative aimed at positioning Nigerian professionals as a competitive global source of skilled talent and digitally delivered services.
The campaign, launched at Radio House, Abuja, is expected to support the Federal Government’s target of creating one million export-linked jobs by 2030 through increased access to international employment, outsourcing contracts, services exports and investment opportunities.
The initiative is being implemented through a collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Education, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), Bank of Industry’s iDICE Programme, Tech4Dev, Mastercard Foundation and other development and private-sector partners.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the campaign represented a strategic shift towards connecting Nigeria’s growing pool of skilled professionals directly with international market opportunities.
“The ‘Hire from Nigeria’ campaign is more than a communications initiative. 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,” Oduwole said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the initiative provides an opportunity to place Nigeria’s human capital at the centre of the country’s economic engagement with the international community.
Idris said his ministry would deploy its communication platforms, agencies and strategic partnerships to ensure that the capabilities of Nigerian talent are communicated clearly and credibly 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,” he said.
Abuja Times reports that the initiative is expected to increase Nigeria’s participation in global value chains, expand digitally delivered services and support foreign exchange inflows.
The campaign’s central message is that Nigeria has the talent, while the world has the demand, with “Hire from Nigeria” providing the pathway between them.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, was in attendance.