Minister Facilitates Landmark Talent Deal at Alaro City, Targets $1B in Digital Exports
Minister Facilitates Landmark Talent Deal at Alaro City, Targets $1B in Digital Exports
… to position Nigeria as leading digital services exporter on the African continent
Alaro City, the integrated mixed-use development area located in the Lekki Free Zone, welcomed Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, for a landmark visit focused on unlocking Nigeria’s digital potential and boosting youth employment across the country.
During the visit, Dr. Oduwole facilitated the signing of a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ITANA, a pioneering Digital Special Economic FreeZone Enterprise, to relaunch the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP). The partnership aims to create 100,000 new jobs in Nigeria’s digital services sector, specifically across Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), software engineering, and other high-demand global skills.
This MOU is a significant component of the Federal Government’s revitalised National Talent Export Programme, which targets the creation of one million jobs and the attraction of $1 billion in Foreign Direct Investment over the next five years. The programme also focuses on building a national talent database, reforming policies to support remote service exports, and partnering with stakeholders to enhance Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy.
The MOU marks a major milestone in the Ministry’s agenda to position Nigeria, as a leading digital services exporter on the African continent, to support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol on Trade in Services, and globally. Speaking at the event, Dr. Oduwole noted, “This partnership is a bold step in achieving Nigeria’s vision for youth employment and economic transformation. By leveraging on urban developments like Alaro City and enabling Digital Economic Zones like ITANA, we are turning potential into prosperity.”
Alaro City, a public-private partnership between Rendeavour and the Lagos State Government is already home to over 83 thriving businesses including ITANA. These include Ariel Foods, a manufacturer of ready-to-use therapeutic foods exported to 17 countries; TY Logistics Park, the first Grade A logistics hub in West Africa; and BUA Starium, a large-scale detergent production facility running 24/7 to meet national demand.
These enterprises operate within a city supported by world-class infrastructure;aprivately built and owned 8-lane, 60-metre-wide boulevard; a dedicated Independent Power Plant that can be scalable to 120MW for uninterrupted power supply; a central, globally certified water treatment facility; a green way drainage for effective water channeling around the city and a state-of-the-art security system.
Strategically located within a Free Zone, Alaro City provides businesses with duty-free advantages and seamless access to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) — a $3.4 trillion economic bloc uniting 54 countries across the continent.
“Alaro City is proud to support initiatives that align with our mission to create jobs, grow businesses, and enable Nigeria’s competitiveness across the continent,” said Yomi Ademola, Managing Director of Alaro City. “This collaboration between the Ministry and ITANA will not only prepare Nigeria’s youth for the global digital economy but will also strengthen our positioning under the AfCFTA as a hub for services and innovation.”
The visit also included a guided tour of key developments within Alaro City, includingAriel Foods, TY Logistics, Mantrac Caterpillar and Universal Homes, highlighting the scale of industrial and residential growth in the city.“I am inspired by what I have seen today in Alaro City” The Honourable minister added.
With the support of the Lagos State Government, Alaro City continues to demonstrate how infrastructure, innovation, and inclusive development can come together to shape the future of the country with progressive policies by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
About Alaro City
Alaro City is conceived as a 2,000-hectare city development located within the Northwest Quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone. It holds a registered, unencumbered Certificate of Ownership title and includes industrial-grade roads, notably an 8-lane, 60-meter-wide boulevard—one of the largest privately owned roads in Africa. The city also offers 24-hour electricity through its privately owned Independent Power Plant, along with water, drainage, sewage systems, and high-speed fiber optic internet access.
About Rendeavour
Rendeavour is the largest new city builder in Africa. Backed by American, Norwegian, New Zealand and British investors, Rendeavour’s cities are among the largest construction projects in Africa and hubs for businesses, homes, education and recreation within infrastructure-ready economic zones.
Current development at Rendeavour is valued at more than $5 billion, with 150 businesses, schools educating more than 6,000 students and 10,000 mixed-income homes occupied or under development.
Rendeavour has created more than 50,000 jobs in the last five years, including the largest call center in East Africa, staffed by 5,000 young Kenyans serving major American customers like United Airlines, JetBlue and Amazon. A further 4,000 call center jobs are confirmed by 2026.
