Vice President Kashim Shettima is set to lead a Federal Government and private-sector initiative aimed at connecting Nigerian workers and professionals with international employers at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The initiative, tagged “Hire From Nigeria,” will be presented at a side event on Thursday focused on using impact sourcing to expand Nigeria’s participation in global trade and create employment opportunities.
The event, themed “Impact Sourcing as a Driver of Global Trade and Inclusive Job Creation,” is expected to attract government officials, state governors, technology executives and private-sector leaders, alongside international employers, investors and development partners.
Shettima is expected to speak on Nigeria’s potential to become a major outsourcing destination, with emphasis on creating stronger links between the country’s workforce and global demand.
The Head of Communications for Hire From Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Ashipa, said the engagement would mark a major step in taking the initiative to the international market.
According to her, the programme is designed to build on the national launch of Hire From Nigeria in Abuja on August 31, 2026, where government and private-sector stakeholders agreed to promote Nigerian talent to employers around the world.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the initiative was intended to increase Nigeria’s contribution to the global services economy.
She said, “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.”
Among those expected at the engagement are 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 participants include Itana Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Luqman Edu; Mastercard Foundation Nigeria Country Director, Rosy Fynn; Tech4Dev President, Joel Ogunsola; and Semicolon Africa Chief Executive Officer, Sam Immanuel.
Ogunsola said Nigeria needed to shift the global perception of its workforce from one based largely on numbers to one focused on the economic value Nigerian professionals can deliver.
He said, “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.”
He added that Hire From Nigeria would help expose Nigerian capabilities to businesses and markets searching for skilled workers.
The initiative builds on the Federal Government’s earlier outsourcing programme, the Outsource To Nigeria Initiative, launched by Shettima in Gombe State in March 2024.
The initiative was established as a public-private partnership to connect Nigerian workers with international companies and initially targeted the creation of more than 1,000 jobs in Gombe, with ambitions of expanding employment opportunities across the country.
Ashipa said Nigeria had continued to develop a broad talent base capable of competing internationally.
She explained that the latest campaign was aimed not only at attracting attention during the UNGA but also at converting that interest into long-term commercial partnerships between Nigerian service providers and global businesses.
