Enugu State has introduced Project Turing, a scheme designed to connect its young talents directly to international technology jobs.
Launched in 2025 under Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s guidance, this program promises to transform the local workforce without requiring migration abroad.
The global outsourcing sector, valued at over $260 billion in 2024, is rapidly expanding into Africa, with countries like Kenya and Egypt already well-established as prime outsourcing destinations. Nigeria, despite its large talent pool, has historically fallen behind due to infrastructure challenges and fragmented policies.
Enugu is proactively changing this narrative through Project Turing, a comprehensive effort combining advanced skills training with upgraded physical infrastructure. This year-long full stack software engineering course, offered in partnership with Silicon Valley-backed Turing Tech, ensures participants a guaranteed role in remote or hybrid positions with a starting income of $1,500 monthly. Even after training subsidies and fees, graduates still net competitive salaries exceeding ₦12.8 million annually in their first year, increasing on subsequent years.
This program is more than just a course. it’s a complete ecosystem that fuses premium talent development with assured employment and local outsourcing facilities. Ndi-Enugu youths now have the rare chance to earn dollar incomes while remaining at home. It’s a new model that can redefine brain drain, increase foreign earnings, and firmly place Enugu on Nigeria’s outsourcing map – Arinze Chilo-Offiah, Special Adviser on Digital Economy & MSMEs
Alongside training, government-led renovation of idle public buildings is transforming these spaces into Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hubs, ready to host international companies for customer service and IT-enabled outsourcing. This dual approach, combining human resource enhancement with physical readiness, distinguishes Enugu from other Nigerian states that typically emphasize only skill acquisition.
A unique aspect of the project is its diaspora-backed funding structure. With Nigeria’s global diaspora remittances exceeding $20 billion annually, Enugu is channeling some of this wealth into sponsorships for trainees. This method, already successful in countries like Rwanda and Ghana, creates a virtuous cycle where local youths gain high-paying jobs, spend earnings locally, and reduce the economic pressures driving migration.
Governor Mbah expressed the strategic importance of this approach;
Our ambition is to elevate Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion. Outsourcing offers a swift avenue to reach that goal by merging talent cultivation with foreign exchange inflows. With Project Turing and these new BPO centers, Enugu is to become Nigeria’s premier outsourcing destination and a beacon for young professionals.
Should this model flourish, it has the potential to serve as a transformational blueprint for Nigeria’s digital economy by shifting reliance from remittances to sustainable foreign earnings. By blending training programs, modernized office spaces, diaspora investments, and global partnerships, Enugu is setting a new standard for growth in the outsourcing industry.
Applications to join this transformative journey are now open.
Enugu’s comprehensive approach combining education, infrastructure, and diaspora engagement could redefine Nigeria’s role in the global outsourcing arena. This evolving model may inspire similar initiatives across the country, catalyzing economic growth and expanding opportunities for the next generation of digital professionals.
