By all parameters of governance and through a dint of visionary smart working skills, the Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya keeps breaking new grounds, blazing the trail, setting the pace, charting the course and defying odds in repositioning his state as the heartbeat of the northeast, melting pot for businesses and land of limitless opportunities.
As a true trailblazer, Inuwa Yahaya points the way, takes the risks and leads the way with a vision for a different future, a faith that turns dreams into reality and a determination that cuts through barriers and obstacles.
On Monday, in the capital city of Gombe, Inuwa Yahaya, blazed the trail again by commissioning the Gombe Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Center, thereby opening up the world of employment in the outsourcing industry to the youths in his state.
For a start, 2000 youths are immediate beneficiaries of this initiative.
The outsourcing industry is a business employment strategy where one can work with any company in the world from any location you are provided you have the requisite skills and competencies and earn in foreign currency.
For the youths whose eyes are focused on jetting out of Nigeria in search of foreign currency jobs, this initiative is a panacea to the ‘Japa’ syndrome.
Outsourcing is the business practice of hiring a party outside a company to perform services or create goods that were traditionally performed in-house by the company’s own employees and staff. This is what Governor Inuwa Yahaya has done for the youths in his state.
The global outsourcing industry is worth $92.5.billion dollars(total contract value) in 2023. Governor Inuwa Yahaya has blazed the trail in this sector and other States in the country will soon follow suit. And the word of Vice President Kashim holds waters then Nigerian youths in all the 36 States will be logged into the outsourcing industry. For the Vice President had said at the launching of the initiative that “Even if it means sleeping in their States, I will ensure that the project is replicated in the 36 States of Nigeria”.
The Global Services Location Index (GSLI) is a tool for measuring a country’s attractiveness for outsourcing business services. It factors in financial attractiveness, people’s skills and availability, business environment and digital resonance and proficiency in English speaking. India had the highest GSLI score in 2021. In fact, 7 of the top 10 countries are in the Asia-Pacific region: India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand.
But the good news is that Nigeria leads pack in Africa.This is what Gombe Governor sees in the partnership with the Outsource To Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) and threw his weight solidly behind the project.
Gombe State stands to benefit close to 280 billion Naira in revenue earnings, a little bit higher than the State’s 2024 budget if 2000 of its citizens gets a job that earns $40,000 per annum as estimated.
By committing over N1 billion in funding, and quipping of the facility to train 2,000 youths for global job outsourcing opportunities,the Governor of Gombe has once again strengthened his resolve in the socio-economic emancipation of his people, particularly the youths.
To underscore the importance of the initiative, the Vice President of Nigeria, Sen. Kashim Shettima, came to Gombe State to launch the OTNI and had also performed the official commissioning of the Gombe BPO Centre,, located at the Amina Mohammed Skills Acquisition Centre along Gombe- Biu Bypass.
In his remarks at the launching, the Vice President said,by this laudable initiative from Gombe State Government,the nation has embarked on a journey of self-discovery, stressing that it is a paradox for any country to possess the advantages Nigeria has and still rank in the middle or at the bottom of the economic chain.
“For too long, we have overlooked the treasure within our demographic dividends. For too long, we have underestimated our role in the knowledge economy. Far beyond the magnitude of our population and the global utility of our proficiency in English, lies a profound characteristic—the Nigerian spirit. From the bustling cityscape of Aberdeen to the vibrant landscapes of Melbourne and the financial hubs of Zurich, this Nigerian spirit of excellence thrives. It is, therefore, time to recognize our potential and embrace this unique identity as we set out to explore the markets eager for our unique contributions”.
He added that the launching of the OTNI has provided a gateway to the world and a reminder to Nigerians that the nation is an epicentre of knowledge, an incubator of innovation, and a nurturer of brilliance, saying “We can’t take over the world if we don’t know the road to the future, and so we are honoured to join you in this quest.”
This initative will no doubt connect global companies with the abundant talents and capabilities inherent in Nigeria, as the initiative marks a strategic leap forward, positioning Nigeria as an emerging outsourcing powerhouse ready to make an indelible mark on the global economic landscape.
The Vice President commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his administrative ingenuity towards bringing the Business Process Outsourcing BPO to fruition in Gombe State, calling on other Governors to emulate him and copy the Gombe model.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya explained that the launching and commissioning of Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) in Gombe heralded a transformative journey towards positioning the state as a premier destination for business process outsourcing in Nigeria.
Gombe State had to sacrifice one of it’s skill acquisition centres for the project and equally provided about N1 billion in funding for equipping the facility. This gesture is an attestation of Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to leveraging on information technology and digital economy to harness the creative energies of the youth in his State.
It is also a testament to his administration’s unwavering commitment towards fostering economic growth, innovation, and job creation, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Since coming to power in 2019, the Inuwa Yahaya’s administration has developed and implemented business-friendly reforms in order to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, thereby fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. This is evidenced in the emergence of Gombe State as number 1 on PEBEC ease of doing business ranking in 2021 and 2022, and its recent ranking as number 1 in Nigeria on socioeconomic performance, as well as numerous other rankings that serve as recognition of Gombe State outstanding success in transforming its fortunes in the last four years.
The BPO center just put to stream is one of the numerous gains of the maiden Gombe Investment Summit held in October 2022 by the dynamic and five times winner of the Governor of the Year Awards.
In the words of the Gombe Governor, “Gombe is not a mere coincidence but a testament to the state’s burgeoning potential and the exemplary strides his administration has made in fostering an enabling environment for technology innovation and economic growths”.
Inuwa Yahaya will always tell the would be investors that ”Gombe is open and ready for business”.
By enabling this initiative, Gombe State has taken another significant step towards diversifying the state’s economy and achieving holistic economic development in line with its development agenda.
– Saliu is a public affairs cimmentator
