In its continuous efforts to create a fair and inclusive society that provides equal opportunities, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), organised a one-day stakeholder consultation forum on the National Outsourcing Strategy (NOS) in Abuja. The aim was to allow stakeholders to provide inputs, express their views and opinions on the proposed NOS.
The participants, including academia, relevant MDAs, ICT-related organisations, government representatives and key stakeholders in the digital economy sector, shared ideas and brainstormed for gainful deliberation.
The director-general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, represented by the acting director of the digital economy department, Engr. Salisu Kaka, said that the stakeholders’ engagement was an avenue for Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the global value chain. It leverages Nigeria’s competitive advantages of having the largest youth population in Africa, a mature telecoms market, a strategic geographic location and a vibrant innovation ecosystem to create millions of jobs.
According to him, the vision of the National Outsourcing Strategy is to make Nigeria a prime global outsourcing destination. To achieve this, seven strategic pillars have been carefully chosen based on the country’s unique environment and strengths, in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria. He noted that the strategy aligns with the National Development Plan and addresses key focus areas of President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision which revolve around economic diversification, youth employment and security.
“We, in NITDA, call on all stakeholders to support the implementation of the strategy. This, we are confident, will facilitate the development of a resilient and vibrant digital economy,” he noted. Furthermore, he stated that “as a national strategy, we encourage all stakeholders to cascade this strategy so that we can build a highly competitive market, making Nigeria the prime global outsourcing destination.”
Presenting a paper on the NOS, the head of the digital technology adaption unit at NITDA, Dr. Ayodele Bakare discussed the summary information about the proposed NOS, including the rationale, vision, mission, goals and objectives of the NOS, as well as supporting pillars, governance structure and implementation strategy.
Emphasising the primary objective of the document, he said: “the National Outsourcing Strategy, which aligns with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, aims to deliver five million jobs in Nigeria by 2030.
“To achieve this ambitious target, the strategy is focused on seven critical pillars, which include outsourcing, infrastructure, human capital development, trust, privacy and security, branding and promotion, innovation and entrepreneurship and, lastly, finance and incentives,” he concluded.
