FG LAUNCHES ‘HIRE FROM NIGERIA’ DRIVE TO CURB YOUTH MIGRATION

The Federal Government has launched a new initiative aimed at creating more international employment opportunities for Nigerians without requiring them to relocate abroad.

The campaign, tagged “Hire From Nigeria,” seeks to connect Nigeria’s growing pool of skilled workers with employers and clients around the world, allowing young Nigerians to earn from global opportunities while remaining in the country.

The initiative was unveiled in Abuja on Monday as part of efforts to address the growing desire among Nigerians, particularly young people, to leave the country in search of better employment and economic opportunities.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the campaign represented a shift in Nigeria’s approach to exports by expanding the focus beyond physical goods to include knowledge, professional expertise, creativity and digitally delivered services.

According to Idris, Nigerians should be able to participate in the global economy without necessarily having to migrate. He said the government was interested in creating an environment where Nigerian professionals could serve international markets while operating from within the country.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the initiative would provide the commercial framework needed to connect Nigerian talent with international demand.

She explained that Nigeria possesses a large pool of skilled and potentially employable young people, but stronger structures are required to connect those talents with businesses and organisations looking for workers and service providers across the world.

Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa stressed that the success of the programme would depend heavily on producing workers who are adequately trained and capable of competing in the international labour market.

Alausa described Nigeria’s youthful population as both an opportunity and a challenge, saying the country must ensure that its young people become a demographic dividend rather than a burden.

He added that the administration was working towards improving the link between education, practical skills and employment opportunities.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the campaign was consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s emphasis on connecting education and skills development with economic opportunities.

Dare said the initiative was intended to help Nigerians translate their skills into income and professional opportunities in the global market.

Also speaking, the founder and President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, noted that Nigeria had been exporting skilled talent for years, but what had largely been missing was a structured system capable of connecting Nigerian professionals with global employers.

The campaign therefore seeks to create that missing link by making Nigerian talent more visible and accessible to international companies and clients.

The Federal Government believes that expanding access to remote and digitally delivered jobs could help reduce the pressure driving young Nigerians to seek opportunities abroad, while also increasing the amount of foreign income generated by Nigerian professionals.

Rather than viewing migration as the only route to economic advancement, the government wants the new initiative to demonstrate that Nigerians can access international careers, contracts and markets while remaining at home.

The “Hire From Nigeria” campaign is consequently expected to focus on skills, digital work, global employability and stronger connections between Nigerian professionals and international businesses.

The initiative comes amid continued concerns over the loss of skilled young Nigerians to migration, commonly referred to as the “Japa” phenomenon, and the economic consequences of the departure of professionals from the country.

Through the new campaign, the government hopes to turn Nigeria’s large youth population and growing digital workforce into a source of global economic opportunity rather than simply a driver of outward migration.