By Chinenye Anuforo
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has officially relaunched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a strategic initiative poised to unlock the country’s potential in the $1 trillion global outsourcing industry. Led by the Minister, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the revitalised programme aims to position Nigerian youth as a world-class talent pool for digital and professional services, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic vision.
“What we celebrate today is not merely the launch of a program, it represents the continuation of a vision to position Nigeria as a global leader in the future of work and services,” stated Dr. Oduwole at the relaunch. She emphasized Nigeria’s enhanced infrastructure, systems, and policy tools, critical for an inclusive and innovation-driven future in line with the President’s digital transformation agenda.
NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, capitalize on global service export opportunities, and drive inclusive economic transformation. With a young, English-speaking population, a strategic time zone, and rapidly advancing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is seen as uniquely positioned to become a competitive global supplier of skilled talent.
Under Oduwole’s leadership, NATEP represents a significant move to diversify Nigeria’s economy, boost foreign exchange earnings, and create sustainable employment. The program will focus on aggregating global demand and connecting it with Nigeria’s skilled workforce through structured and ethical talent export pathways.
Ambitious targets have been set for NATEP, including the creation of 1 million direct export-linked jobs and up to 5 million indirect jobs within the next five years. Additionally, the program aims to attract over $1 billion in foreign direct investment to Nigeria’s burgeoning service export economy.
Key sectors targeted include technology, business process outsourcing (BPO), the creative economy, healthcare, professional services, and remote work.
Additionally, Mrs. Teju Abisoye, a development finance expert with over two decades of experience in national employment initiatives and government interventions, has been appointed as the National Coordinator of NATEP. “Our mandate at NATEP is to position Nigeria as Africa’s peerless global talent hub by building an enabling ecosystem through policy, platforms, promotion, and partnerships,” noted Mrs. Abisoye.
She highlighted NATEP as a strategic intervention by President Tinubu to address youth unemployment, generate foreign exchange, and diversify the economy through service sector expansion.
NATEP, operating as a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has evolved from a basic outsourcing facilitator into a comprehensive ecosystem enabler. Its mandate now includes driving policy reform, expanding digital infrastructure, strengthening international partnerships, and creating reliable talent pipelines that meet global standards.
Key components of NATEP include training 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications, incentivizing BPO and IT-enabled service companies to expand operations in Nigeria, creating legal and ethical pathways for talent export, building a national talent database, and partnering with global outsourcing platforms and employers to aggregate demand.
In a significant move to solidify public-private collaboration and demonstrate the infrastructure supporting the program, Oduwole led a high-level delegation on an official visit to Alaro City, home to Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, on Friday, May 30, 2025. During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to strengthen partnerships, aiming to create an initial 100,000 jobs across high-impact sectors through collaborations with platforms like Itana, Alaro City, and other partners. “This marks the beginning of a new phase of joint execution,” Oduwole affirmed.