Nigeria Aims to Surpass India’s $150 billion Annual Outsourcing Earnings – NITDA Boss
TECHDIGEST – In a bid to accelerate its digital transformation and bolster its outsourcing capabilities, Nigeria has engaged tech giant Cisco, with hopes of outperforming India’s annual outsourcing earnings of $150 billion.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Alhaji Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, revealed that Nigeria’s partnership with Cisco aims to harmonize fragmented databases and streamline processes for greater efficiency.
The initiative is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration Programme, a comprehensive effort to enhance digital infrastructure and skills in Nigeria.
The EDGE hub, launched in collaboration with Cisco, seeks to provide a platform for local innovators to develop prototypes and access cutting-edge technology, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to create a million digital jobs and bring technology closer to the people.Through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 16th, Nigeria and Cisco are committed to bridging the digital skills gap and transforming public digital systems, including agriculture, healthcare, identity systems, and government services.
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The collaboration aims to address challenges posed by fragmented databases and pave the way for a more streamlined and efficient digital ecosystem.With aspirations of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030, Nigeria is taking steps to reshape its educational curriculum, collaborating with organizations like Cisco, Microsoft, and Google to train millions of individuals.
READ ALSO: Nigeria joins Cisco Country Digital Acceleration programme
The strategy involves targeting both the digitally literate younger population and digital immigrants, ensuring that every Nigerian can comfortably engage with digital devices and technology.
To tackle the “japa syndrome,” where skilled individuals migrate abroad, Nigeria is formulating a national business process outsourcing strategy.
With over 16,000 Nigerians currently engaged in the outsourcing sector, the government aims to create a more conducive environment for remote work, allowing individuals to remain in Nigeria while contributing to international companies.
While India currently dominates the outsourcing market, Nigeria is confident that it possesses competitive advantages that can enable it to surpass India’s earnings.
With a younger population, better English-speaking skills, and a favorable time zone for Western markets, Nigeria aims to position itself as a global outsourcing hub and address the japa syndrome effectively.
The collaboration between Nigeria and Cisco holds the potential to revolutionize the nation’s digital landscape, fostering economic growth, job creation, and technological innovation on a significant scale.
