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 partnership is aimed at supporting the growth of one of Africa’s most exciting tech ecosystems.

The partnership is executed via a talent development programme under ‘Lagos Innovates’ – a training project conceptualised to ease the process of building successful tech start-ups in Lagos State.

The initiative aims at providing tools to enable young tech-preneurs to build successful start-ups within the state and has received support from HGL over the past three years. One of the programme’s core objectives is to assist the very best tech startups and founders in Lagos State who have the basic requirements to acquire relevant skills needed to compete in today’s global marketplace.  

Commenting on the partnership, Head of Corporate Services, Honeywell Group,Tomi Otudeko said: “Creating long-term value for Nigeria and its people has always been at the heart of Honeywell Group’s mission. We are invested in impacting our communities, and the tech ecosystem in Lagos is filled with ideas that can revolutionise how we think and operate as a society. We also understand that these young minds need support in accessing the tools and the people required to grow their ideas. It is our duty to support them in any way that we can.

“We are excited to meet these new faces of technology and to partner with Lagos State and Lagos Innovates in easing the path to success.”

Also commenting on the programme, Executive Secretary of LSETF, Teju Abisoye stated; stated “We are delighted to partner with Honeywell Group to develop a talent pool of tech entrepreneurs who can compete favourably with their peers across the world and improve results in the tech eco-system. LSETF and Honeywell Group are committed to ensuring that young people are equipped to drive the growing tech ecosystem in Lagos and Nigeria at large, in addition to positioning themselves for the gig economy. Through this partnership, we hope to cement Lagos’ position as the leading destination for start-ups in Africa.  We look forward to seeing the impact of the training on job creation.”

Creating investor-ready start-ups is vital to the overall growth of the economy, and this talent development programme recognises that there is a need to help increase the investment attraction and ultimately, survival rates of Lagos-based start-ups.

In partnership with Honeywell Group, Lagos Innovates is supporting capacity development in Lagos State by facilitating access to an integrated development environment (IDE) or tech-focused entrepreneurship content and programming.

The training, which will span over 24 weeks, will involve courses on full-stack development with JavaScript (React JS, Node.js, Express and Mongo DB + API Development); full-stack development for mobile applications (React Native, API Development); Python Programming for web and data science (PYTHON OOP, DJANGO & Data Science); frontend design and engineering: (UI/UX, HTML, CSS, ES6 & React JS); full-stack web development, and others.

Applicants must be Lagos State residents (with LASRRA) between the ages of 22 and 45 and have completed the mandatory NYSC programme as at the time of application. The application process is open and running.

Following the successful completion of two training sessions under the programme, the third is slated to begin in July 2022, and applications are open to all individuals based in Lagos.

In line with one of its critical objectives to help grow the next generation of pioneering African companies, Honeywell Group has invested in the initiative over the course of three years and has a long-standing partnership with LSETF.

Training partners for the programme include Skill Paddy, The Nest, DesignU, GOMYCODE, Seed Builders Innovation Hub, Slate Cube, Softwork Freelance Network, Univelcity, Dataleum and Torilo Academy.

How to participate:

Interested applicants can apply and select the courses and training partners of their choice here.

Successful applicants will be announced in July after a two-week screening and selection process by the programme’s steering committee.

Google Hustle Academy is a bootcamp-style training  programme designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses owners position their businesses for investment opportunities and building viable business models for the future.

The Hustle Academy is a practical educational program with interactive activities and instruction by subject matter experts. It also provides access to a global network of mentors and alumni.

“The Google Hustle Academy Program is a laudable initiative that will help improve business prospects and also create the impact we desire at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. I recommend this program to business owners and SMEs, to improve results and growth in Lagos business ecosystem,” says Teju Abisoye, executive secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.

Business owners will undergo five days of hands-on training and receive 3000 hours of training on fundamental aspects of business to help them navigate the challenges faced by SMEs in Africa. The training curriculum includes strategic growth sessions including business growth strategy, building digital marketing roadmaps, discovering and evaluating funding routes and how to pitch for success among other topics.

“SMEs are the engine that drives growth for any economy. In Africa, SMEs account for around 80% of jobs and are a significant source of economic growth. In order to grow the economy and increase employment, it is crucial that small businesses have access to the right tools, training and funding to scale up. The Hustle Academy’s mission is to assist entrepreneurs navigate the business challenges they face by providing them with the appropriate tools and knowledge,” says Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, head of brand and reputation, sub-Saharan Africa.

The programme is open to businesses that have been in operation for more than a year, have developed a business strategy and defined their product or service offering, and are aiming to grow. They must also have made a profit in the previous 12 months or be within 1-3 months of breaking even.

Since 2017, Google has been providing digital skills training in Africa, and while there has been measurable success in growing these skills, SMBs need more hands-on support. A core intent of the Hustle Academy is to support SMBs with the right skills, resources and access to thrive and grow.

“Our hope is that through the Hustle Academy training this year, we will be able to assist 5,000 SMEs and entrepreneurs across Africa take their business to the next level and find ways to scale our efforts to help even more businesses going forward,” added Aderemi-Makinde.

Interested and qualified businesses can apply to join the programme at g.co/hustleacademy.