The application of the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) should not be an obstacle to the necessary foreign investment in the country, said the president. This policy was put in place to oversee the employment of expatriates and encourage employers to pay a tax for hiring expatriates.
The main objective of this measure is to promote the development of the local workforce, reduce dependence on foreign skills and encourage companies to prioritize hiring Nigerians.
Through this tax, the government seeks to strike a balance between harnessing international expertise and promoting indigenous talent in the Nigerian job market.
The President stressed that the initiatives currently being carried out by his administration will result in an improvement in the standard of living of Nigerians. Collaboration between different government entities will help stimulate development and restructure the country’s finances.
By implementing this program in a transparent, efficient and accelerated manner, the government intends to guide Nigeria towards achieving the objectives of this initiative and strengthen controls on immigration and expatriate quotas.
The Minister of Interior indicated that this program will be managed under a public-private partnership model between the federal government, the Nigeria Immigration Service and a private company. The main objective is to ensure that expatriates only work in jobs for which no Nigerian has the required skills.
In summary, this initiative aims to balance employment opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates, reducing pay gaps and making hiring local labor more attractive. A comprehensive guide has been developed to help stakeholders understand the concept and comply with the new guidelines.
This program aims to reduce companies’ dependence on foreign experts and limit the frequency of requests for renewal of expatriate quotas by companies operating in Nigeria.