The most decisive of those milestones came in November 2025, when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the establishment of the National Coordination Mechanism for Services Exports (NCMSE), creating a formal governance framework to strengthen inter-agency coordination, align national policy with global digital trade, and accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s services export sector.

Since its approval, the NCMSE has provided the institutional architecture for bringing together previously disconnected programmes, agencies, and stakeholders under a common services export agenda.

By fostering greater alignment among key institutions, including National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Outsource To Nigeria Initiative (OTNI), and flagship talent initiatives such as 3MTT, the mechanism is helping to improve policy coherence, streamline implementation, and position talent development as a strategic driver of Nigeria’s services export competitiveness.

Building on this foundation, the Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network (NTAN) was officially launched in Lagos, in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

It is co-chaired by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Education, along with private-sector leaders from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Flour Mills of Nigeria. This formally enters Nigeria into the WEF Global Accelerators Network, uniting public, private, and development sectors behind a unified workforce roadmap.

“We are witnessing a shift in the global economy, where greater value and the competitive advantage will be determined by a nation’s ability to cultivate talent, harness deep knowledge-based industries, and participate in high-value services markets built seamlessly across borders. As Africa becomes a more integrated marketplace, the continent has a unique opportunity to emerge as the leading contributor to the world’s talent economy. NATEP is laying the foundation for Nigeria to lead this transition by unlocking the full potential of our human capital, strengthening international partnerships, and positioning Nigerian talent at the centre of the next era of global services trade,” said Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment.

NATEP also intensified efforts to deepen international partnerships that support Nigeria’s services export ambitions. Under the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey, a country-partner mandate was activated to mobilise senior business leaders and ensure Nigeria’s labour market realities are reflected in global workforce assessments and benchmarking exercises.

Concurrently, NATEP has commenced the development of an innovative financing framework to support talent development and export-led growth. The proposed four-layer capital stack combines catalytic public investment with outcomes-linked private capital, adapting global financing models to Nigeria’s economic realities and workforce priorities.

NATEP working with the Nigeria Outsourcing Association also partnered with the Global Business Services sector to streamline the Association in line with global best practice, further strengthening Nigeria’s credentials as a premier hub for international services outsourcing.

These partnerships have been matched by equally significant progress on the domestic policy front. In March 2026, a zero draft of Nigeria’s National Outsourcing Policy was forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for interministerial review, establishing the foundational architecture for a sector with transformative economic potential.

Across the programme’s Technical Working Groups (Demand, Supply, and Enabling Environment), implementation plans have been formalised, workstream leadership structures established, and talent development pathways validated, helping to consolidate a coherent national framework for talent supply, workforce readiness, and export competitiveness.

The Enabling Environment Technical Working Group has adopted WTO/GATS taxonomy standards and mapped five priority digital export sectors- Software/SaaS, Data and AI, Cybersecurity, Fintech, and BPO/ITES- equipping Nigeria to compete aggressively in the highest-growth segments of global digital trade.

“Our mandate at NATEP is to position Nigeria as a premier global talent hub by building an enabling ecosystem through policy, platforms, promotion, and partnerships,” said Teju Abisoye, national coordinator of NATEP. “The progress achieved over the past year brings us closer to our strategic objectives of enabling one million direct export-linked jobs, supporting millions more indirect jobs, attracting significant investment into the sector, and equipping Nigerians with globally recognised skills and certifications. Nigeria is not only preparing for the future of work; it is helping build the policy and institutional foundations required to compete and lead in it.”

As NATEP enters its next phase, the programme’s focus shifts decisively toward implementation at scale: operationalising the Private Sector-backed financing framework, advancing the National Outsourcing Policy through the policy approval process, and mobilising the full capabilities of NTAN to deliver workforce outcomes that strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global services export economy.

The initiative is part of the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution in Nigeria, co-chaired by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Federal Ministry of Education, and coordinated by the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), marking Nigeria’s entry into the Global Accelerators Network.

The platform aims to mobilise multi-stakeholder partnerships to work collectively and reshape global talent development, empowering local talent to meet emerging economic realities.

Commenting, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, described the launch as “a decisive step towards building a globally competitive workforce that can power Nigeria’s next phase of industrialisation and innovation.

“The Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network represents a turning point in connecting policy, industry, and education. It creates a unified platform for driving employability, productivity, and inclusive economic growth.”

Similarly, Dr. Maruf Alausa, the minister of Education, speaking during the Launch, reaffirmed Ministry’s dedication to aligning education and vocational training with labour market needs, ensuring that Nigerian youth are equipped with future-ready skills and are competitive globally.

The Accelerator will serve as a platform for collaboration among government agencies, private sector leaders, academic institutions, and civil society.

Together, these stakeholders will co-create scalable solutions to reskill and upskill the Nigerian workforce, while aligning national education and employment policies with the demands of the modern economy.

“Through this collaboration, Nigeria is not only preparing for the future of work but also helping to define it. We are developing a coordinated Action Plan to address the talent gaps and leverage the huge opportunities for talent export,” said Teju Abisoye, the national coordinator of NATEP.

The initiative will prioritize the development of digital and transferable skills to support emerging sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing, and green industries. It will also focus on mobilizing public-private partnerships to fund and scale reskilling programs, enabling workforce redeployment into high-demand roles, and building data-driven systems to anticipate future skills needs and inform responsive policymaking.

Saadia Zahidi, managing director, World Economic Forum welcomed the launch, noting that

‘The World Economic Forum is pleased to collaborate with Nigeria on advancing its skills development and workforce readiness. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to equip individuals with the capabilities needed to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy. By investing in human capital, Nigeria is positioning itself not only to meet domestic workforce needs but also to contribute talent and innovation to the global economy’.

Nigeria’s participation in this global initiative underscores its commitment to strengthening human capital development, promoting digital inclusion, and positioning the nation as a competitive talent hub for Africa and the world.

The Nigeria Unveils Talent Accelerator complements ongoing national reforms aimed at diversifying the economy, deepening innovation capacity, and driving broad-based prosperity.

The Reskilling Revolution is a World Economic Forum initiative aimed at providing better education, skills, and economic opportunities to one billion people by 2030.

It brings together global businesses, governments, and learning institutions to drive national transformation through programs such as Skills and Education Accelerators and the Reskilling Revolution Champions and Commitments.