The Nigerian Government has opened applications for free Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) training for 50,000 young people across the six South-West states, with successful participants to be connected with potential employment opportunities.
The initiative is being implemented under the Federal Government’s Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme through the Bank of Industry (BoI), with co-financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
In the South-West, the programme is being delivered by Premier Startups Limited and Ethica Resolve Nigeria Limited. The training is designed to equip participants with practical skills for customer service, data management, digital operations and other back-office functions, while creating pathways to employment with Nigerian and international companies.
The 50,000 training places are distributed across the six states, with Lagos allocated 10,000 slots and Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti each receiving 8,000 places.
The training will last between four and eight weeks and will be delivered through virtual and hybrid formats. Participants who complete the programme will receive certification, while qualified trainees will be connected with employers based on available opportunities and recruitment requirements.
The programme covers a broad range of roles, including customer service and contact-centre operations, telesales, lead generation, account management, data entry and management, data annotation, quality assurance and content moderation.
Other areas include virtual assistance, finance and human resources administration, digital marketing, social media management, content writing, graphic and UI/UX design support, as well as IT and technical support.
The organisers said the training is designed to position young Nigerians to participate in the growing global BPO and digital services market, where businesses increasingly outsource customer service, administrative and other digital functions to workers in different countries.
“Work is increasingly being delivered across borders, creating opportunities for skilled talent to serve international companies without leaving their home countries,” the programme organisers said.
The initiative also places emphasis on inclusion, with at least 40 per cent of the available places reserved for women. Unemployed and underemployed youths, first-time jobseekers, persons with disabilities and young people not in education, employment or training are particularly encouraged to apply.
Applicants must be between 15 and 35 years old and reside in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo or Ekiti State. They are required to have at least an SSCE or equivalent qualification, or demonstrable functional literacy, as well as a valid National Identification Number (NIN).
Applications are scheduled to close on September 30, 2026, although the organisers said the application portal could close earlier if all available places are filled. Participation in the programme is free, with no fees required for application, training, certification or placement.
The project team includes George Badejo-Adegbenga, Founder of Ethica Resolve CC and Key Expert for BPO under the iDICE Training-to-Jobs programme; Ejiro Jakpa, Project Delivery Expert; Prof. Dr Rose Ekeng-Itua, Curriculum and Training Lead Expert; and Dr Akanimo Odon, Employer Engagement, Placement and Career Expert.
The training-to-jobs model is intended to go beyond skills acquisition by connecting participants with potential employers, including international companies recruiting talent from the region. Depending on employer requirements, opportunities may be office-based, hybrid or fully remote.
For Nigeria’s young workforce, the programme creates a potential pathway into digital services and remote-enabled work, while giving businesses access to a larger pool of workers trained in customer service, data, administration, digital marketing and technical support.
However, participation in the training does not automatically guarantee employment, as placement remains subject to individual employers’ recruitment processes and requirements.