Tinubu Launches Expatriate Employment Levy: A Game-changer for Nigerian Job-seekers

In a move to improve employment opportunities and balance the Nigerian labour force, President Bola Tinubu has launched the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

This initiative, described as a game-changer by President Tinubu, aims to enhance the employment of more Nigerians in foreign companies operating in the country while closing the wage gap between expatriates and the Nigerian workforce.

The EEL is a mandatory contribution imposed on organizations that employ expatriate workers in Nigeria.

The President expressed his confidence in the levy’s potential to improve revenue, indigenization, and employment balance in the country.

He emphasized the need for foreign companies to employ more Nigerians, balance employment opportunities, and close the wage gap between the expatriates and the Nigerian labour force.

The President highlighted that the EEL is a recent government-approved contribution that will impose an effective timeline on expatriates working in Nigeria to train and develop Nigerian employees.

He further stated that the project has the capacity to plug loopholes and gaps that have hindered the country’s progress in dealing with security challenges and the movement of foreigners in and out of the country.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, explained that the EEL is a Public Private Project (PPP) in line with President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, particularly on job security and economic growth.

The main objective of this initiative is to ensure that if an expatriate is brought to work in Nigeria, it should be a job that no Nigerian has the skill to do.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, praised the bold initiative, noting that he had been worried about the rate at which people come to Nigeria as tourists and end up doing menial jobs across the land.

The launch of the Expatriate Employment Levy marks a significant step in Nigeria’s pursuit of improved employment opportunities, economic growth, and a more balanced labour force.

With the potential to generate revenue, improve indigenization, and close the wage gap between expatriates and the Nigerian workforce, this initiative is set to have a profound impact on Nigeria’s economic landscape.