Shettima: Nigeria Positioned to Tap from $360bn Global Outsourcing Market

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the country was positioned to tap into the global outsourcing market which is worth over $360 billion.

He revealed that the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative which he launched recently, has the capacity to position Africa’s most populous nation as a global outsourcing hub.

The vice president stated this yesterday, in Abuja while delivering his address at the fourth Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) public forum.

This, he disclosed was what the present administration would achieve by training young citizens and position them to take up not just jobs in Nigeria, but globally.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Power Infrastructure, Dr. Sadiq Wanka, the Vice President said given the nature and scale of the challenges ahead, “the strength of our engineering capacity is inextricably linked to our economic and social progress.”

Shettima underscored the role of engineers in writing the rebirth story of the country.

“It is therefore critical that, as government, we continue to work hand-in-hand with professional bodies like the Nigerian Academy of Engineering to ensure that the quantity and quality of engineers meet the moment and match the needs of our national aspirations,” he added.

Earlier, the President, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, said speakers were carefully selected based on their rich experience in the sector to provide a sector based road map for revitalising engineering education in Nigeria.

Onwualu, said resolutions from the forum would provide major inputs for policy formulation, adjustment and policy implementation guidelines for the relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in engineering education.

“The Academy believes strongly that if Nigeria prioritises and uses engineering and technology to drive development in all sectors simultaneously, Nigeria would in a short time join the league of developed countries because we would have been able to solve our problems in food and agriculture, health care, communications, transportation, energy and power, commerce and industry and indeed all other sectors.

“The Academy is willing to advise government on how this can be achieved successfully,” he added.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Chairman, House Committee on Science Engineering; Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono; Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, represented by Jeremiah Adejo, Assistant Director, Metallurgical Inspectorate, Federal Ministry of Steel Development; Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, among others applauded the Academy for the unwavering commitment to advancing the field of engineering in Nigeria.

According to them, engineering plays pivotal role in driving progress and innovation, sustainable development across various sectors of the economy.