Shettima leads ‘hire from Nigeria’ drive at UNGA

Vice President Kashim Shettima will spearhead a joint initiative between the Nigerian government and private sector to promote the country's workforce to global employers ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. This effort, dubbed 'Hire from Nigeria', aims to market Nigeria's talent and job creation capabilities to international businesses and investors.

The event, themed 'Impact Sourcing As A Driver Of Global Trade And Inclusive Job Creation', will bring together senior government officials, state governors, and technology and private-sector leaders to discuss the potential of Nigeria as an outsourcing hub. Shettima is expected to address the session, highlighting the country's positioning as the next outsourcing frontier.

The initiative builds upon the national launch of 'Hire from Nigeria' held in Abuja on August 31, 2024, where government and private-sector leaders committed to connecting Nigerian talent across various roles with global demand. Oluwatoyin Ashipa, Head of Communications for 'Hire from Nigeria', described the UNGA side event as the campaign's first major push onto the international stage.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, emphasized the importance of translating Nigeria's talent into greater participation in global trade. The Minister urged Diaspora Nigerians to play a crucial role in driving the country's development.

The forum will feature high-profile officials such as Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Bisoye Coker-Odusote. Other notable speakers include Luqman Edu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Itana; Rosy Fynn, Country Director of Mastercard Foundation Nigeria; Joel Ogunsola, Co-Founder and President of Tech4Dev; and Sam Immanuel, CEO of Semicolon Africa.

Tech4Dev's Chief, Ogunsola, expressed Nigeria's potential to move beyond being recognized for its workforce size to being acknowledged for the value that talent creates globally. He stressed that 'Hire from Nigeria' aims to make this value visible and connect Nigerian capabilities to businesses and markets in need of them.