Federal Government, yesterday, launched the “Hire From Nigeria” campaign, a new initiative aimed at creating global employment opportunities for Nigerians without requiring them to leave the country.

The campaign seeks to position Nigeria as a major source of skilled talent and digitally delivered services, while providing young Nigerians with access to international jobs from within the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the initiative represented a new dimension in Nigeria’s approach to exports, moving beyond physical commodities to knowledge, skills, creativity and professional services.

He said the initiative would demonstrate to young Nigerians that participation in the global economy did not necessarily require migration.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the campaign would provide the commercial structure required to connect Nigeria’s talent with international demand.

In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the success of the initiative would depend on the country’s ability to produce industry-ready and globally competitive workers.

Alausa said Nigeria’s youthful population presented a choice between a demographic dividend and a demographic catastrophe, stressing that the administration was working to ensure the former.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the initiative reflected President Tinubu’s emphasis on linking education and practical skills with economic opportunity.

Founder and President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, said Nigeria had exported talent for decades, but the missing link had been connecting its skilled workforce to global opportunities in a structured manner.