The Hire From Nigeria campaign, Nigeria’s public-private sector driven initiative connecting the country’s talent and technology-enabled services to global employers, will take its message to the world stage on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with a side event on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in Manhattan, New York.
The event, themed “Impact Sourcing As A Driver Of Global Trade And Inclusive Job Creation,” will run from 9:00am and bring together senior Nigerian government officials, state governors, private-sector and technology leaders before an audience of international employers, investors and partners gathered in New York for UNGA week.
Nigeria’s Vice President, His Excellency Sen. Kashim Shettima, GCON will deliver a keynote address on the theme, ‘Setting the global trade and impact sourcing context; Nigeria’s positioning as the next outsourcing frontier.’
The New York event builds directly on the campaign’s national launch in Abuja on 31 August 2026, where government and private-sector leaders committed to connecting Nigerian talent across white- and blue-collar roles with global demand. The UNGA side event marks the campaign’s first major push onto the international stage, during one of the world’s most important annual convenings.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Host Minister, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, 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. We want these connections to deliver commercial opportunities, expand services exports and create jobs in Nigeria.â€
Confirmed speakers include His Excellency Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, CON, Governor of Lagos State; His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, Governor of Niger State; Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, Honourable Minister of Education; Bisoye Coker Odusote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); Luqman Edu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Itana; Rosy Fynn, Country Director, Mastercard Foundation Nigeria; Joel Ogunsola, Co-Founder and President of Tech4Dev; and Sam Immanuel, CEO of Semicolon Africa.
Hire From Nigeria is a public-private sector collaborative campaign championed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, through the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bank of Industry (BOI) through the iDICE programme, the Mastercard Foundation, and Semicolon.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is already building a strong and diverse talent base from which to compete in the global economy. Across professional, technical, skilled and service-based occupations, Nigerian workers are contributing capabilities that are increasingly relevant to businesses and employers beyond the country.
Joel Ogunsola, Founder and President, Tech4Dev, said:
“Nigeria has an opportunity to move from being recognized for the size of its talent pool to being recognized for the value that talent creates globally. Hire From Nigeria is about making that value visible and connecting Nigerian capabilities to the businesses and markets that need them.â€
By connecting this talent and service capacity to international demand, Hire From Nigeria will contribute to services exports, foreign exchange earnings, business growth and job creation, while helping Nigerian companies and professionals participate more actively in global value chains.
The Manhattan side event will provide a platform for Nigerian public- and private-sector leaders to engage directly with the international business community and discuss the commercial opportunities emerging from Nigeria’s talent and services capacity.
Beyond the UNGA engagement, Hire From Nigeria will continue to facilitate conversations and connections with global businesses interested in Nigerian talent, services and capabilities, with a focus on turning international interest into sustained commercial relationships.
The global launch therefore marks the next phase of the campaign: moving from building awareness of Nigeria’s talent advantage to creating the relationships and opportunities that can translate that advantage into greater participation in the global economy.
The Hire From Nigeria ambition remains simple:
Make Nigeria easier to discover.
Connect global businesses to Nigeria’s talent, services and enterprise.
Create more pathways for Nigeria to participate in the global economy.
Nigeria has the talent. The world has the demand. Hire From Nigeria brings them together.
Media and interested attendees can RSVP at Luma.com/Qw9ttgvz.
For Attendance/Media Interview Enquiries, contact:
Oluwatoyin Ashipa, Head of Communications, Hire From Nigeria
Oluwatoyin.Ashipa@hirefromnigeria.org | +234 803 328 2663
About Hire From Nigeria:
Hire From Nigeria is a private sector-led coalition promoting Nigeria as a destination for technology enabled services and globally employable talent. It is led by Tech4Dev and Univelcity and works with global business process outsourcing operators, international clients, and businesses seeking Nigerian capability.
The coalition is supported by government institutions and initiatives including the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), the Federal Ministry of Education, i-Dice and the Bank of Industry (BOI).
For more information, visit https://hirefromnigeria.org/faq
