The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has relaunched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a bold initiative aimed at positioning Nigeria’s youth as a world-class talent pool for digital and professional services.
Led by Minister Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, NATEP seeks to tap into the $1 trillion global outsourcing industry and drive inclusive economic transformation. According to Dr. Oduwole, the programme represents a vision to make Nigeria a global leader in the future of work and services.
NATEP aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, focusing on empowering Nigeria’s youth, harnessing global service export opportunities, and driving economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population and rapidly advancing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is well-positioned to become a competitive global supplier of skilled talent. The programme aims to create 1 million direct export-linked jobs and up to 5 million indirect jobs within five years, while attracting over $1 billion in foreign direct investment.
Mrs. Teju Abisoye, a development finance expert, has been appointed as the National Coordinator of NATEP. She noted that the programme’s mandate is to position Nigeria as Africa’s peerless global talent hub by building an enabling ecosystem through policy, platforms, promotion, and partnerships. NATEP will focus on upskilling and enabling Nigeria’s young human capital to take advantage of the global service trade.
The programme has evolved into a full-scale ecosystem enabler, driving policy reform, expanding digital infrastructure, and strengthening international partnerships. Key components include training 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications, incentivizing BPO and IT-enabled service companies, and creating legal and ethical pathways for talent export.
To mark the relaunch, the Minister led a high-level delegation to Alaro City, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone.
The agreement aims to strengthen public-private sector collaboration and support the programme’s success. Dr. Oduwole announced a significant milestone: the creation of an initial 100,000 jobs across high-impact sectors through collaboration with platforms like Itana and Alaro City.
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