Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead a joint Federal Government and private-sector initiative to promote Nigeria’s workforce to global employers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Communications, Hire From Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ashipa, the engagement is titled ‘Nigeria to Advance Services Exports and Job Creation through Hire from Nigeria Engagement at UNGA 81.’
The event, themed ‘Impact Sourcing as a Driver of Global Trade and Inclusive Job Creation,’ will bring together senior government officials, state governors, technology leaders and private-sector executives before an audience of international employers, investors and development partners during UNGA week.
Shettima is expected to deliver remarks on ‘Setting the Global Trade and Impact Sourcing Context: Nigeria’s Positioning as the Next Outsourcing Frontier.’
Ashipa said the forum 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 professions with international demand.
She described the UNGA side event as “the campaign’s first major push onto the international stage.”
Speaking ahead of the engagement, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the government’s priority was to increase Nigeria’s participation in global trade by leveraging the country’s talent pool.
“Our priority is to translate Nigeria’s talent into greater participation in global trade.
“Through Hire From Nigeria, we are working with the private sector to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with international demand,” she said.
Other officials expected at the meeting include 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.
Also expected are Itana Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Luqman Edu; Mastercard Foundation Nigeria Country Director Rosy Fynn; Tech4Dev Co-Founder and President Joel Ogunsola; and Semicolon Africa Chief Executive Officer Sam Immanuel.
Ogunsola said Nigeria had an opportunity to move beyond recognition for the size of its workforce to demonstrating the global value created by its talent.
“Nigeria has an opportunity to move from being recognised for the size of its talent pool to being recognised for the value that talent creates globally.
“Hire From Nigeria is about making that value visible and connecting Nigerian capabilities to the businesses and markets that need them,” he said.
Thursday’s forum represents the latest phase of the Federal Government’s talent-export and outsourcing drive 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. At the time, he said the initiative was targeting a global outsourcing market valued at $8.79 trillion.
OTNI, anchored by the Office of the Vice President as a public-private partnership, was established to connect international companies with Nigerian talent. Its initial target was to create more than 1,000 jobs in Gombe State, with plans to scale the initiative to millions of jobs nationwide over time.
