To boost youth employment and advance Nigeria’s digital economy, the Federal Government has revealed plans to convert the Joseph Gomwalk House, aka Standard Building into a hub for Business Process Outsourcing jobs.


The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani disclosed this on Wednesday when he paid a visit to inspect the building situated in Jos, Plateau State.

Speaking to journalists during the visit, the federal delegation underscored the need for technical training and job creation, especially for Nigeria’s rapidly growing youth population. 

With nearly 70% of Nigerians under the age of 30, he stressed the urgency of creating sustainable employment opportunities.

"We want to provide proper technical training for our young people because, as you know, we’re an extremely youthful country, about 70% of our population is under the age of 30. For us, it’s a priority to ensure that we provide meaningful job opportunities for these young people.

"While we’ve done extremely well with our three Million Technical Talent programme, which focuses on training three million young people across the country, it’s also important that we find avenues to help them secure jobs. That’s why we're in conversation with the governor of Plateau State to see how we can accelerate the introduction of Business Process Outsourcing jobs here.

"Companies all over the world are looking to outsource job opportunities. Historically, they’ve done this with countries like India. But Nigeria has an advantage, we’re well-positioned to handle many of these jobs. That’s the direction we’re heading in.

"The goal of today’s visit is to assess the possibility of converting this historic building, the Standard Building into one of the headquarters for BPO in the country. Our aim is to work with the State government to refurbish the building and then engage with companies that hire young people for BPO work."

On the choice of the State, he added, "Plateau State is unique. It stands out because education here is strong, the people are hardworking, and they speak high-quality English, an essential requirement for BPO jobs.

"Importantly, the governor is also forward-thinking. He’s been actively engaging with us to make this a reality in Plateau State, and we appreciate that kind of leadership. The governor is clearly committed to restoring Plateau’s glory, and that’s exactly what we need. This state has so much to contribute to national development.

"The President has made it clear: that we must build a $1 trillion economy in Nigeria. We can’t achieve that from Abuja alone, it has to be done by working closely with the sub-nationals, and Plateau State is one of the States we want to help elevate.

"Beyond the BPO opportunity, we’re also deploying telecommunications towers across Plateau to ensure rural areas have coverage. Many currently don’t. We want to ensure that even those in agriculture can participate in the digital economy and leverage digital technologies."

The State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, that of Science, Technology and Innovation, Cletus Shurkuk, and that of Housing and Urban Development, Sylvanus Dongtoe took the Minister on the inspection.

Ramnap said, "We are grateful for this initiative and for having Plateau State in focus, and we also appreciate the Minister for all he is doing. We just had the opportunity to interact with some of the young people he has empowered previously, and this project is truly a step in the right direction for us.

"This aligns with our ongoing message that Plateau State is open to all forms of collaboration aimed at bringing development to our people. The young population of Plateau is also a key focus for Mr. President, and as a State government, we are committed to creating the right environment for his policies and programmes to thrive."