Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead a joint Federal Government and private-sector initiative to promote Nigeria’s workforce to global employers as part of efforts to expand services exports, attract international business opportunities and create jobs.
Shettima is expected to lead the engagement on Thursday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The event, organised under the Hire From Nigeria initiative, is themed “Impact Sourcing as a Driver of Global Trade and Inclusive Job Creation.”
According to a statement by the Head of Communications, Hire From Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ashipa, the forum will bring together senior government officials, state governors, technology companies and private-sector leaders before international employers, investors and development partners attending UNGA week.
Shettima is expected to speak on “Setting the Global Trade and Impact Sourcing Context: Nigeria’s Positioning as the Next Outsourcing Frontier,” as the government seeks to position Nigerian professionals and service providers for greater participation in the global economy.
Ashipa said the engagement builds on the national launch of Hire From Nigeria in Abuja on August 31, 2026, where government and private-sector stakeholders committed to connecting Nigerian talent across white- and blue-collar occupations with international demand.
She described the UNGA engagement as the initiative’s first major international push, with the campaign seeking to move Nigeria’s workforce from being recognised largely for its size to being valued for the services and economic contributions it can deliver to global businesses.
Speaking ahead of the forum, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the government’s priority was to translate Nigeria’s large talent pool into greater participation in global trade.
She said Hire From Nigeria was being implemented in partnership with the private sector to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with international employers and markets.
Other officials and private-sector leaders expected at the event include Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago; Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Bisoye Coker-Odusote; Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Itana, Luqman Edu; Country Director of Mastercard Foundation Nigeria, Rosy Fynn; Co-Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola; and Chief Executive Officer of Semicolon Africa, Sam Immanuel.
Ogunsola said Nigeria had an opportunity to move beyond recognition for the size of its workforce and demonstrate the value its talent could create for businesses and markets globally.
The UNGA engagement forms part of the Federal Government’s broader talent-export and outsourcing strategy championed by Shettima since 2024. The Vice President launched the Outsource To Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) in Gombe on March 4, 2024, alongside the commissioning of a Business Process Outsourcing centre.
The initiative was established as a public-private collaboration to connect international companies with Nigerian talent, with an initial target of creating more than 1,000 jobs in Gombe State and expanding opportunities nationwide.
Ashipa said Nigeria was building a diverse talent base capable of competing in the global economy, adding that the latest engagement was aimed at converting international interest generated during UNGA into sustained business relationships and employment opportunities beyond the summit.
