The Nigeria Association of Information Technology Enabled Outsourcing Companies (NAITEOC) said Nigeria could create five million direct and indirect jobs from outsourcing in five years.
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Outsourcing is the contracting out of a business process to a third-party which sometimes. involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to another.
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The NAITEOC Chairman, Dr David Onu, made the disclosure at the second "National Outsourcing Conference'' with the theme "Empowering the Outsourcing Sector for Service Delivery and Job Creation on Tuesday in Abuja.
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He said outsourcing could create jobs "if the necessary policy and infrastructure are put in place.''
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Onu said outsourcing had presently created jobs for more than 10,000 people as and contributed about one per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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"With the right policy and necessary infrastructure in place, outsourcing has the potential to create five million direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria in the next five years,'' he added.
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The chairman identified the absence of legal framework, poor social and IT infrastructure and high tax regime as some of the challenges facing the development of outsourcing in the country.
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He said that although government was working hard to develop the sector, more efforts and collaboration from the private sector was still needed for its development.
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Onu stressed the need for government establishments and corporate organisations to embrace outsourcing.
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He noted that a vibrant outsourcing sector would not only help to create jobs, it would also promote economic development and accountability in government.
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In her remarks, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said the ministry would continue to provide the necessary infrastructure and policy for outsourcing to grow in Nigeria.
That is very true.
There are so many things we can do but we just decide to overlook.
It's very bad!
That is very true because Employment Opportunities is still something we are lacking in this country.