President Bola Tinubu unveiled the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) initiative in Abuja on Tuesday, aimed at fostering home-grown skill retention and technology domestication while creating a more balanced employment landscape between Nigerians and expatriates.
During the launch of the Expatriate Employment Levy handbook, President Tinubu emphasized the need to bridge wage gaps between expatriates and Nigerian workers, while also increasing job opportunities for qualified Nigerians within foreign companies operating in the country.
“We expect improved revenue generation; improved naturalization and indigenization; we anticipate the employment of more qualified Nigerians by foreign companies operating in this country. We seek a greater balancing of employment opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates and the closure of the wage gap between expatriates and the Nigerian labour force by making it more attractive to hire Nigerians.
However, Tinubu cautioned against using the scheme as a deterrent to foreign investors, emphasizing the importance of facilitating investment rather than hindering it. He underscored the need for clear implementation guidelines and effective collaboration among relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of the program.
“I declare my support for the Expatriate Employment Levy scheme, and I will continue to encourage the operators, practitioners of immigration matters and expatriate quotas, but I emphasize: do not use it as a bottleneck; do not use it as an obstacle to frustrate potential investors.
The President assured Nigerians of brighter prospects ahead despite current challenges, citing collaborative efforts across various government agencies and institutions to steer the country towards economic growth and development.
Explaining the intricacies of the initiative, Minister of Interior, Mr. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, highlighted its alignment with the President’s eight-point agenda, particularly in terms of job security and economic growth. He emphasized the project’s focus on technology domestication and the necessity of ensuring that expatriates fill roles where Nigerians lack the requisite skills.
“It is worthy to mention that the project is aligned with the eight-point agenda of Mr. President, especially on the issue of job security and economic growth. This project will, among other things, lead to technology domestication.
“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,” the Minister said.
Operated through a public-private partnership model involving the federal government, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and technical partner EEL Projects Limited, the initiative seeks to enhance employment opportunities for Nigerians while promoting technological advancement and skill development.
