In a move to bolster the Nigerian economy, the federal government has forged a partnership with the U.S. Cybersecurity Institute, Lab Four, aiming to create 50,000 business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs within three years.
The announcement came during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lab Four and the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), overseen by Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite.
Minister Anite highlighted the transformative potential of this collaboration, emphasizing that the generated jobs could annually attract up to $1.2 billion into the Nigerian economy.
These positions span various fields such as telesales, customer service, virtual administrative assistance, marketing/social media assistance, and tech/cybersecurity.
Speaking on the objectives of the NATEP initiative, Minister Anite outlined plans to create one million service-export jobs over the next five years, thereby increasing foreign exchange earnings and revenue for Nigeria.
To achieve these goals, strategic partnerships with both domestic and international institutions are deemed crucial.
The National Coordinator of NATEP, Femi Adeluyi, assured transparency in the selection process, emphasizing the initiative’s focus on the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. He encouraged Nigerians to visit the NATEP website for further details.
Expressing commitment to fostering job creation in Nigeria, Lab Four’s Executive Director, Anthony Okhiria, reiterated the firm’s dedication to scaling up employment opportunities.
Commenting on the initiative, a representative of the United States Embassy, John Dunham, underscored Nigeria’s vast human resource potential and the rapid growth of IT entrepreneurship, particularly among young people. He lauded the U.S.’s efforts to support this sector, foreseeing it as a game changer for Nigeria.
The global talent-sourcing industry, valued at $620.381 billion in 2020, is projected to reach $904.948 billion by 2027, signalling promising growth opportunities in the sector.
For further updates on the NATEP programme, interested individuals are encouraged to visit www.natep.gov.ng.
Minister Doris Anite
