The Federal Government has unveiled the “Hire from Nigeria” campaign, an initiative aimed at positioning the country as a preferred global destination for skilled talent and digitally delivered professional services.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the official press conference for the campaign, saying the initiative was designed to place Nigeria’s human capital at the centre of the country’s economic engagement with the world.
Idris said the global economy had evolved beyond the traditional export of physical commodities, stressing that knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services could now cross international borders without the movement of goods.
He said Nigeria was well positioned to take advantage of this transformation, given its large and youthful population, growing pool of professionals, entrepreneurial culture, English-language proficiency, favourable time zone and expanding capabilities in technology, creative industries, business support and other digitally delivered services.
According to him, the Federal Government has set an ambition of creating one million export-linked jobs over five years as part of efforts to make Nigeria a major hub for talent and services exports.
The minister, however, stressed that having a large pool of talent was not sufficient, as global employers must also be aware of the capabilities of Nigerian professionals and have confidence in the quality of services they provide.
“That is why communication is central to this campaign,” Idris said, adding that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation would deploy its communication platforms, agencies and partnerships to give the initiative visibility both nationally and internationally.
He said the ministry would work to ensure that the story of Nigerian talent was communicated “clearly, credibly and consistently” to employers, investors and businesses around the world.
The campaign, he explained, is a public-private collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Education, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), Bank of Industry’s iDICE programme, Tech-for-Dev and other domestic and international private-sector partners.
Idris said the initiative would receive further global visibility ahead of its planned global launch during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
He said the campaign would communicate to the international community that Nigeria was “open for business” and had skilled people ready to compete, collaborate and contribute to the global marketplace.
Nigerians can work globally from home
The minister also urged young Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities created by the digital economy, noting that geographical location was no longer necessarily a barrier to participating in the global workforce.
He said young Nigerians could acquire the necessary skills, work from within the country and provide services to clients and employers around the world.
“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.
According to him, the model could generate foreign exchange inflows and tax revenues for Nigeria while expanding the country’s skills and knowledge base.
Idris described the initiative as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on job creation, economic diversification, skills development, global integration and youth empowerment.
He called for stronger cooperation among government institutions, the private sector, training institutions, employers, technology companies, young professionals and international markets to translate the campaign’s ambition into sustainable opportunities.
“The future of Nigeria’s economy will increasingly be driven by the talent, creativity, skills and productivity of our people,” the minister said. He added: “Nigeria is ready to compete on the global stage. Nigerian talent is ready to work. And the world should look to Nigeria.”
Idris commended the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the NATEP team, Tech-for-Dev, iDICE and other partners for their contributions towards the campaign.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that “Hire from Nigeria” evolves beyond a publicity initiative into a sustained global platform for showcasing the skills, creativity, professionalism and potential of Nigerians.