The Traffic

Nigeria Relaunches National Talent Export Programme to Tap $1 Trillion Global Outsourcing Market

By Achimi muktar 

In a move that could redefine the future of work for millions of Nigerians, the Federal Government has relaunched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) — a sweeping, high-impact initiative targeting the $1 trillion global outsourcing market and aiming to transform Nigeria into Africa’s ultimate digital talent hub.

At the helm of this ambitious revival is Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who unveiled the renewed NATEP with a bold vision: to turn Nigeria’s youthful population into a global workforce powerhouse for services like tech, business process outsourcing, healthcare, and the creative economy.

“What we celebrate today is not merely the launch of a programme; it represents the continuation of a vision to position Nigeria as a global leader in the future of work and services,” Dr. Oduwole declared.

With over 60% of its population under the age of 30, Nigeria sits on a human capital goldmine. Add to that a strategic time zone, English proficiency, and improving digital infrastructure, and the nation is poised to become a go-to destination for outsourcing companies seeking skilled, affordable, and reliable talent.

NATEP isn’t just a skills programme — it’s a national economic strategy. Backed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, the initiative aims to:

Create 1 million direct jobs linked to export within five years

Generate up to 5 million indirect jobs

Attract over $1 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI)

From upskilling millions of Nigerians in digital certifications to forging legal talent export pathways and creating a national skill database, the programme is designed to systemically unlock Nigeria’s competitive advantage in the digital economy.

Appointed as National Coordinator of NATEP, Mrs. Teju Abisoye brings over two decades of experience in development finance, employment initiatives, and entrepreneurship support.

“Our mandate at NATEP is to position Nigeria as Africa’s peerless global talent hub,” she said. “We will do this by upskilling our youth, building platforms, reforming policy, and partnering globally.”

Abisoye emphasized that NATEP is not just a government programme — it’s a movement to shift Nigeria from a raw material-exporting economy to a skills-exporting nation in line with global labor trends.

NATEP has evolved from a mere outsourcing channel into a full-service ecosystem enabler. The new vision includes:

Training 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications

Creating incentives for BPO and IT-enabled service firms to set up shop in Nigeria

Building a national talent database to map and match skills

Partnering with global outsourcing platforms to aggregate job opportunities

Establishing legal and ethical talent export systems

To drive the vision home, Minister Oduwole led a federal delegation to Alaro City, where they toured Itana — Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone. The visit culminated in the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry, Alaro City, and Itana, aimed at creating an initial 100,000 digital jobs across priority sectors.

“This MoU marks a new phase of joint execution,” Dr. Oduwole said. “It proves what’s possible when the public and private sectors collaborate to unlock Nigeria’s talent economy.”

From New York to New Delhi, companies are looking for skilled remote workers — and Nigeria is stepping up. With NATEP, the country is taking a firm stance: the next frontier of national wealth won’t just be oil or agriculture, but the export of digital intelligence and innovation.

📨 Media enquiries:
Media Relations Unit
Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
📧 Email: info@fmiti.gov.ng