The Federal Government, represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UTEL Ltd.
The MoU, signed on May 21, 2024, in Abuja, aims to connect Nigerians to jobs in Kuwait, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Scandinavian nations through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP).
According to a press statement by Dr. Femi Adeluyi, National Coordinator, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) on Tuesday, the signing ceremony, supervised by Uzoka-Anite, marks a milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to provide its citizens with quality employment opportunities.
This initiative is expected to facilitate both direct employment and the utilization of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) model, ensuring gainful employment for Nigerians within the country and abroad.
Addressing illegal migration through structured talent export
The partnership with UTEL Ltd, a subsidiary of Unique Agency Kuwait, a leading provider of expatriate employees for government agencies in Kuwait, is in line with the Federal Government’s strategy to foster mutually beneficial international collaborations.
This initiative aims to curb illegal migration by providing structured and reputable pathways for Nigerian talents to work abroad.
During the ceremony, it was announced that 250 foreign job openings are now available for Nigerians, emphasizing the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities through global partnerships.
The MoU outlines a “1+2” approach, where for every Nigerian selected for a foreign job, the partners will also connect an outsourced role to the Nigerian BPO ecosystem and support the training of another Nigerian to strengthen the local workforce.
The statement read: “The signing of the MoU marks another milestone in our efforts to ensure that Nigerians have access to quality employment opportunities. These employment opportunities could be direct employment and emigration of our talent or utilisation of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) model for gainful and meaningful employment for those based in Nigeria. Through NATEP, Nigeria can honourably export her talents in a mutually beneficial and reputation preserving way, putting an end to illegal migration and the embarrassment therefrom to the country.
“The MoU was signed with UTEL Ltd, a Nigerian subsidiary of Unique Agency Kuwait- a leading provider of expatriate employees for the government agencies and departments in the State of Kuwait. The partnership with UTEL to aggregate foreign jobs for Nigerians from Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This is in line with the Federal Government’s aim to forge mutually beneficial partnerships with nations and global institutions to facilitate the provision jobs for Nigerians. During the ceremony, an announcement was made about openings for two hundred and fifty (250) foreign jobs for Nigerians.”
Commitment to global talent opportunities
The minister assured partners of Nigeria’s dedication to upskilling its workforce to support the Federal Government’s industrial revitalization plan and provide skilled citizens for global opportunities.
Dignitaries at the event included representatives from Kuwait, Oman, and Norway, reflecting the international support and recognition of Nigeria’s efforts in talent export.