Microsoft has partnered with Nigerian social enterprise, Tech4Dev, to help provide employment for 100,000 young Africans over the next seven years through business process outsourcing (BPO).
The collaboration was announced at the launch of Tech4Dev’s Taltrix initiative in Lagos. Taltrix aims to tap Nigeria’s talented youth population by connecting them to digital jobs serving multinational companies.
“We must move beyond training to start creating job opportunities,” Ola Williams, Microsoft Nigeria Director, said.
The company views Nigeria as strategically positioned to become a BPO hub – given its English-proficient, innovative young population. Taltrix has already established infrastructure to employ 1,000 people in 14 Nigerian cities.
“Nigerians are innovative. We are hungry to learn, we are an entrepreneur, we are hard-working, and we want to make a difference. However, is important that opportunities are created to tap into this potential that people have. And for us, our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. Empowerment is not just about giving them tools that they need to work it’s also about creating opportunities for individuals,” Ola Williams said.
Over the next seven years, the goal is to scale up to 100 cities across Africa and provide work for 100,000 people. Tech4Dev leaders called it building a $200 billion industry for the continent.
“The outsourcing sector has massive potential for African economic growth,” Oladiwura Oladepo, Tech4Dev Executive Director, said.
Taltrix emerged from Tech4Dev’s technology and creative skills training programs as a way to place graduates into meaningful roles. Microsoft’s support aims to fast-track its expansion.
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The BPO jobs initiative aligns with the Nigerian government’s recent focus on outsourcing as a source of youth employment.
Experts say Nigeria is poised to follow countries like India and the Philippines in becoming a major global provider of outsourcing services. This requires investment in digital skills training and job placement programs like Taltrix.
With youth unemployment a major issue across Africa, Microsoft’s partnership serves as a model for harnessing technology to create economic opportunities at scale.