NIGERIAN TALENT EXPORT PROGRAMME (NATEP): INTENT, FRAMEWORK, AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

This study examines the Nigerian Talent Export Programme (NATEP) as a public policy initiative situated at an intersection of labour migration governance and adult education. Drawing comparative insights from India and the Philippines, two countries with established migration management systems, the study examines NAPTEP’s intent, institutional design, and anticipated challenges. Anchored in adult learning theories, particularly Knowles’ andragogy and Mezirow’s transformative learning theories, the paper adopts a qualitative and analytical approach to explore how NATEP can function beyond a labour export mechanism as a structured lifelong learning ecosystem.  The analysis highlights migration as an extended learning process encompassing pre-departure preparation, transnational work experience, and post-migration reintegration. NATEP represents a policy shift toward organizing skilled migration through training, certification, and international placement, with the potential to convert global mobility into sustainable human capital development. Findings suggest that NATEP’s effectiveness will depend on institutional integration, alignment of training with adult learners’ professional goals and the formal recognition of overseas experience with domestic labour markets. Reintegration emerges as a critical yet underdeveloped phase, where transformative learning can translate individual skill acquisition into collective developmental outcomes. The paper concludes with policy recommendations aimed at strengthening NATEP as both a migration strategy and a lifelong learning framework.