NATEP, UTEL SIGN MOU ON TALENT EXPORT ….. To Provide Links For Nigerians to Foreign Jobs in Kuwait, Scandinavian countries, among others.
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Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite |
“The NATEP Project will help us to envision Nigeria properly so that people can know better. Before establishing NATEP, the process for talent export was not available." Uzoka-Anite.
"We welcome you and also assure you that we like the partnership as we equally have enough talents to support our industrialization policy."
In actualizing the Renewed Hope Initiative of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, that will bring a new dawn for all, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite has supervised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry and UTEL Ltd.
The Memorandum of Understanding, according to the Coordinator of the National Talent Export Programme, NATEP, Dr Femi Adeluyi, will connect Nigerians to foreign jobs in Kuwait, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Scandinavian countries, among others.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding took place on Tuesday, 21 May 2024 at the Bank of Industry Building in Abuja the nation’s capital. The National Talent Export Programme, (NATEP) will be responsible for its execution.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anitie, while speaking during the signing ceremony, noted that Nigerians are a talented, entrepreneurial and very intelligent people with great potentials.
“We know who we are in Nigeria. We have very good persons here and it is unfortunate that some few persons have brought disrepute to the country as a whole. The setting up of NATEP was deliberate to project the image of Nigeria for what it is. We have had food testimonies. It goes a long way to reconfirm what we say about Nigeria. We want the world to see Nigeria for what it truly is; for its richness in culture, beautiful and talented people and most certainly, not the negative image and propaganda that has been spread all over the world. We are not criminals.” She stated.
Dr Uzoka stressed that “the NATEP Project will help us to envision Nigeria properly so that people can know better. Before establishing NATEP, the process for talent export was not available.
“We are starting with a Coordinating Office just like a test run to assess it based on everything around Talent Export so that it will enable Nigerians secure befitting and better environment to work. It would also afford them know that there is an agency of government that will take care of their needs like NATEP.”
She assured that there would be training for those coming into Nigeria including educating them on the culture and others pointing out that Nigerians generally are cosmopolitan by nature with over two hundred and fifty ethnic groups.
“We welcome you and also assure you that we like the partnership as we equally have enough talents to support our industrialization policy.” The Minister stated.
The National Coordinator of NATEP, Dr Femi Adeluyi disclosed that, “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 utilization 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 that arises, to the country.
The MoU signed involved 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 is 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, it was announced that that there are openings for two hundred and fifty (250) foreign jobs for Nigerians.
Adeluyi pointed out that, “Nigerians in diaspora are known to rise like cream to the top of their professions and data validates this notion. For example, research from the Migration Policy Institute Washington-DC, indicates that more than half of Nigerian immigrants (54%) are likely to occupy management positions, compared to 32% of other immigrants and 39% of the US-born population.
“Similarly, the 2021 Office for National Statistic Report from the United Kingdom (UK) showed that 44% of adult residents born outside the UK have some form of qualification, compared to 31% of UK-born residents, while 66% Nigeria immigrants have received one form of qualification or another. It goes to show the level of quality that Nigerians can bring to the table.
“In efforts to promote talent and services export, as well as managed migration, the MoU specified a “1+2” approach for the partnership.
“With this approach, for every Nigerian that is selected for a foreign job through NATEP, the partners will commit to helping connect an outsourced role to the Nigerian BPO ecosystem and also support in the training a Nigerian to refresh the local workforce.” Femi Adeluyi said.
In her closing Dr Doris Uzoka-Anitie, assured the partners that Nigeria is fully committed to up scaling its talent pool to power the industrial revitalization plan of the Federal Government and provide skilled citizens for global talent opportunities.
Dignitaries at the event include, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, Permanent Secretary, FMITI and Chief Host; Mr. Athbi Hussein Al Awadi (from Kuwait); Mr. Tahir Saleh Hashim (from Oman); and Advokat Torgeir Knutsen (from Norway).
Others are Ambassador Florin Talapan, Romanian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Faruk Yabo, Chairman/CEO of UTEL, Dr. Afiz Ogun, DG, ITF; Mr. Foluso Akinlonu, Director Legal, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and also, Mr. Thomas Adebayo, Director Information and Public Relations, FMITI.
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