Awolowo finalizes initiatives for Nigeria to benefit from $4.7trn export of services
By Ibiyemi Mathew
The Immediate past Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo in a bid to further consolidate on his administration’s effort to increase the contribution of non-oil export to the Gross domestic product (GDP) has finalized initiatives that will enable Nigeria to benefit from the yearly $4.7 trillion export of services
Awolowo, the architect behind Nigeria’s Zero Oil plan at an event to mark the end of his second and final term as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in Abuja last week disclosed that funds are being disbursed via the Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) to innovation hubs and start-ups that are exporting and have the potential to export services in the EntertainmentTech, FinTech, EduTech and LogisticsTech sectors.
He mentioned that a working group, in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under the Export Expansion facility Programme is to design and implement initiatives that will grow the Nigeria services export sector.
One of the achievements of the working group include the Outsource Nigeria Initiative which aims to train at least 300 youths every 6 months across three geopolitical zones (North West, South East and South West) to be well equipped to export high in-demand digital skills as advised by the World Economic Forum (WEF), thereby taking advantage of the Services Export market and making Nigeria a premium destination for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).
According to Awolowo, “The Outsource Nigeria initiative was birthed from the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report.
“According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), at least 97 million new jobs will be created globally between now and 2025, out of which about 80% will be outsourced. Nigeria’s large youthful population positions us to take full advantage of this opportunity.”
Speaking further, Awolowo identified that that the Outsource Nigeria initiative is being implemented through a strategic partnership between the government, academia and industry.
“Its pilot is a partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Centres of Excellence in three institutions – the University of Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ibadan with funding support from the CBN Creative Industry Financing Initiative.”
He added that the Digital Economy Infrastructure that is being deployed for the pilot will make these centres and universities first class technology development zones.
“The innovation hub at the University of Ibadan has been mandated as part of its project charter to constantly review the curriculum of two undergraduate courses in their custody, GES 301 and ETR 301, to reflect the constant opportunities in non-oil exports, innovation, technology development and the future of work. This will drive an organic sensitization of about 7,000 youths every session in nonoil exports opportunities,”he concluded.
The NITDA Director General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE who was represented at the event by the Acting Director, Corporate Planning and Strategy (CPS) Dr Aristotle Onumo said the partnership is aimed at facilitating the exportation of digital services adding that more partnerships of this nature from the public and private sectors would bring out synergy, exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing among them.
He emphasized that the digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pillar of the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan enables NITDA to easily collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the exportation of indigenous services saying “It would not have been so for NITDA to collaborate with sister Agencies that have similar visions to drive digital economy to its rightful place in Nigeria.
