FG Launches Hire From Nigeria Campaign, Targets Global Jobs for Nation’s Talent
Oru Leonard
The Federal Government has launched the “Hire from Nigeria” campaign, a new initiative designed to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with employers, businesses and opportunities in the global economy.
The campaign, unveiled on Monday at a press conference at Radio House, Abuja, seeks to position Nigeria as a preferred international destination for skilled manpower and digitally delivered services while enabling Nigerians to work for foreign employers without leaving the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the initiative represented an important step towards placing Nigeria’s human capital at the centre of the country’s economic engagement with the world.
He said the changing global economy had created new opportunities for knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services to cross international borders without the movement of physical goods.
According to him, Nigeria is strategically positioned to take advantage of the emerging opportunities because of its youthful population, expanding pool of professionals and growing digital capabilities.
“The future of Nigeria’s economy will increasingly be driven by the talent, creativity, skills and productivity of our people. Nigeria is ready to compete on the global stage. Nigerian talent is ready to work. And the world should look to Nigeria,” Idris said.
The Minister explained that the campaign was being implemented through collaboration among the Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment and Education, the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), iDICE and private-sector partners.
He described the initiative as a public-private partnership aimed at positioning Nigeria as a global source of skilled talent and digitally delivered services.
Idris said the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation would use its communication platforms, agencies and partnerships to promote Nigerian talent and build international confidence in the country’s professionals and businesses.
He said the campaign was also aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s objective of creating one million export-linked jobs.
The Minister stressed that Nigerians, particularly young people, should not necessarily have to relocate abroad to participate in the global economy.
“A young Nigerian does not have to leave the country to participate in the global economy. With the right skills, infrastructure, professional standards, and access to markets, Nigerians can live and work and earn here at home, while providing valuable services to clients and employers worldwide,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the ministry was working to strengthen the country’s talent pipeline through curriculum reforms, technical and vocational education, digital skills development and industry-focused training.
He said the government’s objective was to ensure that Nigerians were adequately trained, certified and prepared to meet international employment standards.
Similarly, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described “Hire from Nigeria” as more than a communications initiative, saying it was designed as a national economic proposition capable of converting Nigeria’s demographic advantage into jobs, exports and investment.
Oduwole said the campaign would be taken to the international stage, including the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with the message that engaging Nigerian talent represents a commercially sound decision for international employers.
“Hiring from Nigeria is not an act of goodwill. It is a sound commercial decision that delivers capability, innovation, competitiveness, and value,” she said.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications and NATEP in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Olajumoke Dan-Okayi, identified discoverability, trust and access to global markets as some of the major barriers facing Nigerian professionals seeking international opportunities.
She said the campaign would therefore focus on making Nigeria easier to discover, Nigerian talent easier to trust and Nigerians easier to hire.
The Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Mr. Joel Ogunsola, said Nigeria possessed a huge pool of talent that could be matched with growing international demand for skilled services.
“Nigeria has the talent, the world has the demand. Our job is to bring the two together,” Ogunsola said.
He noted that skills without access to opportunities could result in wasted potential, stressing the need to deliberately connect Nigerian professionals to international markets.
The Federal Government said the “Hire from Nigeria” campaign would connect Nigerian professionals, service providers and businesses with global employers, outsourcing companies, investors and international markets.
The initiative is expected to support Nigeria’s broader strategy for talent and services exports, while expanding opportunities for Nigerians in sectors driven by technology, professional services, digital skills and knowledge-based work.
The launch was attended by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa; Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Dr. Sunday Dare; Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Comrade Abdulhamid Salihu Dembos; Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Dr. Mohammed Bulama; Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications and NATEP, Mrs. Olajumoke Dan-Okayi; Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Mr. Joel Ogunsola; senior government officials, private-sector representatives and other stakeholders.
