President Tinubu Encourages Home-Grown Skill, Domestication Of Technologies

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday launched the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) to encourage home-grown skill retention and domestication of technology, balancing the employment opportunities between Nigerians and foreigners working in Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch of the EEL handbook, the president said the aim is to bridge the gap between expatriates and the Nigerian workforce. Furthermore, he explained that this will also create employment opportunities for Nigerian citizens who are working for foreign companies that operate in Nigeria.

However, he clarified that this scheme should not discourage foreign investors from investing in Nigeria.

"We expect improved revenue generation; improved naturalization, and indigenization; we anticipate the employment of more qualified Nigerians by foreign companies operating in this country," the president said, as per the official statement shared on the X handle (formerly known as Twitter).

Tinubu added, "We seek a greater balance of employment opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates and the closure of the wage gap between expatriates and the Nigerian labor force by making it more attractive to hire Nigerians."

He went on to declare his support for the EEL scheme, adding that he will continue to encourage operators, practitioners of immigration matters, and expatriate quotas. However, he warned that no one should use this scheme as a bottleneck or as an obstacle to trouble potential investors.

Regarding the implementation of the program, the president noted that there will be clear and effective guidelines issued so that the officials in charge of immigration matters, expatriate quotas, and relevant stakeholders can work accordingly.

During the launch, Tinubu also addressed the ongoing economic crisis in the country, assuring Nigerians that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

While the president admitted Nigerians are going through tough times, he asked them to look at how the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Federal Ministries of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, and the Central Bank of Nigeria have collaborated to bring development and progress to Nigeria.

Minister of Interior Bunmi Tunji-Ojo also spoke during the event and explained how this program will help to solve job security and economic growth challenges in the country.

"It is worthy to mention that the project is aligned with the eight-point agenda of Mr. President, especially on the issues of job security and economic growth. This project will, among other things, lead to technology domestication," he said.

Tunji-Ojo added, "The essence of this is to be sure that if you are bringing an expatriate to work in Nigeria, it should be a job that no Nigerian has the skill to do. That is the major objective of this particular initiative."