The Nigerian government is set to launch the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) to engage with the global outsourcing market, which has grossed nearly $350 billion to unlock vast employment prospects for its burgeoning youth population.
The initiative is set to be launched by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Gombe State on March 4, 2024. which will be driven by the private sector but facilitated by the government, and coordinated by the Vice President’s Office.
Nairametrics learns that it aims to generate employment opportunities within the business process and technology-enabled outsourcing industries, aligning with President Tinubu’s job creation objectives.
The announcement was made by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, during a press briefing in Abuja.
He emphasized that the nationwide implementation of OTNI represents a strategic approach to ensuring job security for Nigeria’s vast youth demographic.
According to him, OTNI is poised to bolster Nigeria’s outsourcing industry, creating valuable job opportunities for youth across various sectors, with an initial target of employing over 1,000 individuals in Gombe State following participant training.
What they said
Sen. Hadejia highlighted the initiative’s significance, noting the substantial job creation potential within the thriving global outsourcing sector, which saw a revenue of nearly $350 billion in 2023 among the top seven participating countries.
He underscored the promising outlook of this market, expected to expand to over half a trillion dollars by 2030, positioning it as a potential leading employment sector for young Nigerians and a viable alternative to the oil industry.
- “Considering the global outsourcing market’s criteria, Nigeria stands in a favourable position, thanks to being an English-speaking nation with improved IT infrastructure and a skilled, youthful workforce,” Sen. Hadejia stated.
He encouraged other state governors to follow Gombe’s lead by harnessing the OTNI launch as an opportunity to provide quality employment for the youth in their regions.
Mrs. Amal Hassan, promoter of the program, stated that the OTNI’s launch in Gombe, Abuja, and Kaduna represents a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s business process and outsourcing sector.
She also indicated that the initiative plans to consolidate domestic and international market talent on the Worknation platform, offer targeted capacity building, establish excellence centres, enhance global branding to highlight Nigerian talent capabilities and deploy trained individuals to both local and international markets.
- “We are initiating with a focus on training, having analyzed the talent pool to cater to the specific skill set demands of the international market through structured training programs,” Mrs Hassan added.