Lagos: The Federal Government has unveiled a Talent Accelerator initiative aimed at closing critical skills gaps and accelerating economic development, thereby positioning the country’s workforce to compete more effectively in the global market.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr Jumoke Oduwole said at the Lagos inauguration that the initiative is part of the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution in Nigeria.
She stated that the initiative was co-chaired by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, as well as the Federal Ministry of Education, and was coordinated by the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), marking Nigeria’s entry into the Global Accelerators Network.
Oduwole described the inauguration as a decisive step towards building a globally competitive workforce that could power the next phase of Nigeria’s industrialisation and innovation.
“The Nigeria Talent Accelerator Network represents a turning point in connecting policy, industry, and education.
“It will create a unified platform for driving employability, productivity, and inclusive economic growth,” Oduwole said.
Additionally, Dr Maruf Alausa, Minister of Education, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to aligning education and vocational training with labour market needs during the launch.
Alausa said the initiative would ensure that Nigerian youths are equipped with future-ready skills and are competitive globally.
He stated that the Accelerator would serve as a platform for collaboration among government agencies, private sector leaders, academic institutions, and civil society organisations.
According to him, stakeholders will co-create scalable solutions to reskill and upskill the Nigerian workforce together.
“This initiative will also align national education and employment policies with the demands of the modern economy,” Alausa noted.
The National Coordinator of the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), Teju Abisoye, stated that through this collaboration, Nigeria was not only preparing for the future of work but also helping to shape it.
Abisoye stated that stakeholders are developing a coordinated action plan to address talent gaps and capitalise on the significant opportunities for talent export.
She said that the initiative would prioritise the development of digital and transferable skills to support emerging sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing, and green industries.
According to her, it will also focus on mobilising public-private partnerships to fund and scale reskilling programmes, enabling workforce redeployment into high-demand roles.
“It will also build data-driven systems to anticipate future skills needs and inform responsive policymaking,” Abisoye said.
Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, welcomed the launch, stating that the World Economic Forum was pleased to collaborate with Nigeria on advancing its skills development and workforce readiness.
Zahidi stated that this initiative reflected a shared commitment to equip individuals with the necessary capabilities to thrive in a rapidly changing global economy.
According to Zahidi, 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 underscored 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 Accelerator complements ongoing national reforms aimed at diversifying the economy, deepening innovation capacity, and driving broad-based prosperity,” she stressed.
She added that the Reskilling Revolution was a World Economic Forum initiative aimed at providing better education, skills, and economic opportunities to one billion people by 2030.
According to her, it will bring together global businesses, governments and learning institutions to drive national transformation through programmes such as Skills and Education Accelerators and the Reskilling Revolution Champions and Commitments.
The platform aims to mobilise multi-stakeholder partnerships to work collectively and reshape global talent development, empowering local talent to meet emerging economic realities.