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Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday with Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, to create over 2,000 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) trainee jobs for young Nigerians.

The MOU was signed in the office of Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, on behalf of the federal government.

Osinbajo said the partnersip is part of the government’s change agenda aimed at growing the economy and creating jobs.

“ICT is one of the quickest ways people can get decent jobs, so we think this is absolutely important,” Osinbajo said in a statement released by his office. “We thank Huawei for this initiative of advancing technology in Nigeria, apart from the job creation itself.”

The MOU provides the 2,000 trainee jobs next year under Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Programme.

Osinbajo said Chinese investors and business leaders should consider building manufacturing plants in Nigeria, not just selling products.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie, said China was in partnership with the Buhari administration in its change agenda especially in areas such as agricultural modernization, industrialization, infrastructure, trade and investment, poverty alleviation, and peace and security, among others.

Also speaking, the Vice President of Huawei West Africa, Richard Cao, said his company is committed to developing Nigeria’s ICT sector by fostering a skilled local ICT workforce.

“As a leading global supplier of ICT products and solutions, Huawei will continue to share its global experience in the development of the ICT industry with the Nigeria government,” Cao said.

Chibuike Oguh is Financial Nigeria's Frontier Markets Analyst