Nigeria has emerged as one of the most competitive outsourcing destinations for hiring offshore remote workers, ranking sixth globally in the 2026 Global Outsourcing Talent Index
The ranking places it ahead of several European and advanced economies, according to a new report by Ataraxis Management.
The data-driven study, which assessed 193 countries across labour cost, English proficiency, talent availability, digital infrastructure and political stability, places Nigeria firmly among the global elite, alongside South Africa, which ranks fifth.
Explaining Nigeria’s strong performance based on an analysis from the index, George Atuahene said the country’s cost advantage and language capability were decisive. He stated, “Why Nigeria ranks #6 globally in our Global Outsourcing Talent Index is because Nigeria’s labour cost score of 98/100 and its English proficiency score of 90/100 are the main reasons why it performs so well in our index rankings.”
He added that Nigeria’s dual strength in both areas is rare on a global scale. “Less than 10 percent of the 193 countries we analysed scored 90 or above in both variables simultaneously. This is a big part of why Nigeria ties with South Africa and outranks Argentina, Romania, Kenya, Brazil, Poland, Pakistan, and several other countries in the index,” Atuahene explained.
The report highlights a broader shift in global outsourcing, noting that business process outsourcing is no longer confined to traditional call centres but has evolved into a borderless talent marketplace driven by digital connectivity and remote work.
Across Africa, the findings are particularly striking. Seven countries feature in the global top 25 outsourcing destinations, with South Africa (5th) and Nigeria (6th) leading, followed by Kenya (11th), Egypt (15th), Ghana (17th), Ethiopia (23rd), and Uganda (24th). This means the continent accounts for 28 percent of the world’s most competitive outsourcing locations.
Nigeria’s cost competitiveness is especially notable. With a labour cost score of 98 out of 100, it ranks among the most affordable outsourcing destinations globally, outperforming countries such as the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, China and Brazil. It also matches or exceeds traditional outsourcing hubs like India and Pakistan in this category.
Amal Hassan, founder of Outsource Global, is one of the key players running a contact centre business process outsourcing company, positioning Nigeria as a competitive player providing business support services. The business support services include legal, accounting, and tech support to international clients in the US, UK, and Japan.
Already operating in cities like Abuja, Gombe, and Borno, she is exploring entry into French- and Spanish-speaking markets in Africa.
To compete with India in the skills required to serve the international market, the company created its training team.
“Nigeria graduates about a million graduates every year with different skill sets, but they have to be upskilled to be employed. We put in structured training from communication skills, attention to detail, time management, and critical thinking for them to be enrolled in client-specific training,” she said.
Areas for improvement
However, despite its strong showing, the report identifies clear areas for improvement. Atuahene pointed to gaps in infrastructure and workforce depth as key constraints.
“Opportunities for improvement are as Nigeria scores 30/100 in digital infrastructure and 60/100 in talent availability, and those are the two biggest opportunities for Nigeria to increase its ranking and close the ranking gap with countries like the Philippines, India, and Malaysia,” he said.
He further explained the importance of these factors to global outsourcing competitiveness. “Our Global Outsourcing Talent Index defines digital infrastructure as reliable internet connectivity, access to modern tech, and general digital readiness,” he noted, adding that “this is critical for remote work, and countries with strong broadband coverage, high mobile penetration, and accessible cloud services make it possible for teams to collaborate with minimal interruptions.”
In terms of talent depth, Atuahene emphasised the need for scale and diversity within the workforce. “Talent availability is all about the size, depth, and scalability of a country’s workforce. We analysed the number of qualified professionals and the diversity of skills in each labour pool. We looked at factors such as education levels, workforce participation, and industry-specific expertise. This variable is essentially a country’s capacity to immediately support global hiring,” he said.
The report also finds that talent availability has the strongest correlation with overall outsourcing performance, even more than labour cost, underscoring the importance of building a deeply skilled workforce.
Sectoral data further reinforces Nigeria’s growing relevance in the global outsourcing market. Services account for nearly half of total employment, while the country contributes an estimated 5.5 percent of global traffic on freelance platforms such as Upwork. Nigeria is also emerging as a leader in digital skills development, topping Africa in artificial intelligence and machine learning course completions.
In addition, the country hosts a large pool of software developers and is seeing increased activity in areas such as fintech, data annotation, and telehealth services, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.
Taken together, the findings position Nigeria not only as a low-cost outsourcing destination but increasingly as a strategic talent hub. However, as the report makes clear, sustained investment in digital infrastructure and workforce development will be critical if the country is to close the gap with leading outsourcing markets in Asia.
