Photo caption: Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole. Photo: X @joduwol
The Federal Government has relaunched the National Talent Export Programme and appointed development finance expert Teju Abisoye as Director-General to drive Nigeria’s renewed ambition to capture a significant share of the $1tn global outsourcing market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, announced the relaunch in Lagos on Friday and said the revamped programme is a key part of President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification strategy and youth empowerment agenda.
She said NATEP would create one million export-linked jobs and up to five million indirect jobs within five years while attracting over $1bn in foreign direct investment into Nigeria’s service export sector.
A statement by the minister’s media team said she led a high-level delegation to Alaro City, home to Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, where she said the government was now ready to match talent with global demand through structured, legal, and ethical pathways.
She said the country’s youthful, English-speaking population, growing digital infrastructure, and strategic time zone give Nigeria a competitive edge in global outsourcing and remote work.
The statement read, “The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has announced the relaunch of the National Talent Export Programme, a bold initiative led by the Honourable Minister, Dr Jumoke Oduwole. The renewed programme is designed to tap into the $1tn global outsourcing industry by positioning Nigeria’s youth as a world-class talent pool for digital and professional services.”
“In alignment with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, harness global service export opportunities, and drive inclusive economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population, a strategic time zone, and rapidly advancing digital infrastructure,
Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a competitive global supplier of skilled talent.”
Launched on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly 18 months ago, the minister said NATEP has now been revitalised, stronger, sharper, and globally aligned, as a strategic pillar of Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts under the current administration.
The programme will focus on aggregating global demand and connecting it with Nigeria’s skilled workforce through structured and ethical talent export pathways.
The minister further stated that the appointment of Teju Abisoye would bring focus, execution strength, and results to the programme and described her as a proven leader with over two decades of experience in public sector interventions, youth employment, and entrepreneurship.
She explained that “the ministry’s goal is to create one million direct export-linked jobs and up to five million indirect jobs within five years. In addition, NATEP aims to attract over $1bn in foreign direct investment to Nigeria’s growing service export economy. The programme targets high-impact sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing, the creative economy, healthcare, professional services, and remote work.
“The programme will now drive policy reform, expand digital infrastructure, strengthen international partnerships, and create reliable talent pipelines that match global standards with its key components to include the training of 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications.
“Incentivising BPO and IT-enabled service companies to expand operations in Nigeria, Creating legal and ethical pathways for talent export in alignment with global labour needs, building a national talent database to map skills and track employment opportunities, partnering with global outsourcing platforms and employers to aggregate demand, empowering Nigeria’s youth, enhance foreign exchange earnings, and support inclusive economic transformation.”
To mark this renewed direction, the minister 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.
The visit is aimed at strengthening public-private sector collaboration and showcasing the infrastructure and innovation ecosystem that will support the programme’s success.
“I am proud to announce a significant milestone in this effort: the successful signing of a strategic agreement to create an initial 100,000 jobs across high-impact sectors, made possible through collaboration with platforms like Itana, Alaro City, and other partners present in this room,” the minister stated.
The delegation will tour companies and strategic facilities such as Ariel Foods, Mantrac Caterpillar, TY Logistics Park, and Universal Homes.
The programme will feature a presentation on Itana’s innovation-driven outsourcing model, which aligns with NATEP’s mission to build a digitally enabled, globally competitive workforce. A Memorandum of Understanding will also be signed between the Ministry and private sector partners, marking the beginning of a new phase of joint execution.
