Nigeria must not wait until it has achieved perfect readiness before presenting its workforce to the global market, the Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, has said.
Ogunsola made the remarks while discussing the Federal Government’s newly launched “Hire From Nigeria” campaign, an initiative designed to connect Nigerian professionals and skilled workers with international employers and create more opportunities for Nigerians to earn from the global economy without necessarily leaving the country.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS, Ogunsola said Nigeria already has a large and youthful population capable of competing internationally, but the country must ensure that its workforce is trained in skills that employers around the world actually need.
He explained that the global labour market is changing rapidly, particularly because of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Skills that were highly sought after several years ago may no longer command the same level of demand today.
According to him, Nigeria’s approach to talent development must therefore be demand-driven, with training institutions and government programmes regularly engaging international companies to understand the skills they will require in the coming years.
Ogunsola pointed to existing government initiatives, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Digital Training Academies and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, as efforts that can help expand the country’s skilled workforce.
He said the challenge is not simply producing more graduates but making sure those graduates possess skills that global employers are willing to pay for, while also making Nigerian talent easier for international companies to discover and trust.
The Tech4Dev founder also said the Hire From Nigeria campaign could create opportunities across both white-collar professions and skilled trades. He noted that countries in Europe and other regions are experiencing shortages in certain skilled occupations, while Nigerian doctors, nurses, artisans and other professionals continue to attract international demand.
However, he acknowledged that Nigeria still has infrastructure, regulatory and legal challenges to address. He said ongoing efforts under the National Talent Export Programme are aimed at bringing different parts of the talent-export ecosystem together.
Ogunsola argued that infrastructure challenges should not prevent Nigeria from competing globally, noting that businesses can combine conventional electricity with alternative power sources where necessary.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s large English-speaking population as a competitive advantage in the global outsourcing industry. The country’s sizeable talent pool, he said, can provide international businesses with access to skilled workers at competitive costs.
At the same time, he stressed that Nigerian workers must receive fair compensation as the country expands its participation in the international labour market.
For Ogunsola, the urgency is clear: Nigeria has a significant youthful population, and turning that demographic strength into sustainable employment and income opportunities could have a major impact on families, businesses and the wider economy.
The Hire From Nigeria campaign therefore represents an effort to position Nigerian talent as a global resource while encouraging international employers to look towards the country for skilled workers.