Barely months after the Federal Government unveiled a $10 million partnership aimed at positioning Nigerian tech talents for global employment opportunities, digital economy experts are calling for a thorough regulatory review of the initiative, warning that issues of data sovereignty and digital security must not be overlooked.
The concerns follow the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s May 6, 2026 announcement of a strategic partnership with Hello.cv, a global career platform, to connect 20,000 fellows of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme with international recruiters.
The partnership, described by the Ministry as a landmark initiative, is designed to enhance the global visibility of Nigerian technology professionals through a $10 million activation.
Under the agreement, each of the 20,000 selected 3MTT fellows receives a global professional profile package valued at $500, comprising an AI-powered job search agent, a professionally written CV, and a personalised .cv domain.
While the initiative has been applauded for expanding global employment opportunities for Nigerian digital talents, analysts have questioned aspects of the arrangement, arguing that it appears inconsistent with the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” engagement policy.
More significantly, they have raised concerns over the ownership, storage and protection of data generated by the beneficiaries, noting that the agreement allows the profiles and associated digital identities to reside within the Hello.cv domain.
According to them, the arrangement raises important questions about data sovereignty, jurisdictional control and regulatory oversight, particularly in an era where personal data has become a strategic national asset.
Commenting on the development, Global Digital Economy Strategist and Chief Executive Officer of Cyberchain, Engr. Jude Ozinegbe, urged relevant regulatory authorities to examine the implications of the agreement, especially regarding data ownership and protection.
“Because when you register your domain under a different entity outside of your jurisdiction, that entity will have access to whatever is happening within that domain. So, in the long run, the NDPC may have to look at the contract and consider the security implications of such domain rights ownership.
“And if that is the case, the only thing that can happen is that NDPC should delve into it and look at the security protocol of Hello.cv when it comes to data protection,” he said.
Ugonma Egwuatu of ECAM Global Services, an ICT and Data Protection firm, also expressed similar concerns.
While not faulting the right of the Ministry to take decisions regarding the 3MTT operations, she noted: “If a government Ministry has permitted the trainees to use a foreign domain, then the attention of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) should be drawn to it. The NDPC has subscription to .ng as a requirement for its Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs).”
The concern, she notes, is about the security of the data. “We are talking about 20,000 data sources here, so NDPC should be concerned.”
She further highlighted some queries that need to be answered. “There should be explanations regarding the back end: what are they doing with the data of the people that visit the sites? What is the reason behind the use of a foreign domain as against the .ng that we know about? Are they trying to phish data? Are they trying to sell data? These are questions that need to be asked to know the reason why the ministry insists on the trainees using a foreign domain.”
She further suggested that there should be a third-party agreement. “I want to believe that as a Ministry, they have done their due diligence, because the security of people’s data is involved”.
Proffering alternatives that wouldn’t have impinged on FG’s Nigeria First policy, CEO of DNS Africa, Dr. Adebunmi Adeola Akinbo noted: “The .ng domain name is a domain name that easily can accommodate such a company (Hello.cv), if they say their brand is Hello.cv, no problem, they should come and buy hello.cv.ng, if they decide that this becomes like a business opportunity, an entrepreneurial ground for them to grow upon, they can send a mail and propose that, oh, we can onboard three million Nigerians or five million Nigerians to the domain name.
“Then the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA) will go all out to open that particular domain for them, and open it in such a way and manner that every Nigerian can now come to ‘.hellocv.ng’, or probably ‘hellocv.ng’, it’s an idea they can always propose, and NIRA will state its terms, you are bringing in money, not exporting money, you are ensuring that the digital economy grows.”
Akinbo further disclosed: “As good as it may sound, leaving the .ng domain name out of this circle of engagement is wrong; taking information or data outside the .ng domain name and outside the domain of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is also wrong. I hope that the people in charge will hear this and, you know, make amends.”
Speaking from an investment point of view, Founding and incumbent Chief Executive Officer of Precise Financial Systems Ltd (PFS), Yele Okeremi noted that investment, particularly in tech and in the knowledge industry, is not just about having smart people.
“And we have to understand how it works. It’s about who owns the investment and deserves the returns. So the question is, how much of the investment are we putting on the table? And when we talk about investment, we have to be very careful about this.
“And this is one of the things that have happened in this country. A lot of people just expect that merely because they are smart, then they are good to go. No. You need an entire value system. You need an ecosystem that guarantees that you can retain the wealth within the country.”
In his opinion, Chief Executive Officer, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Muhammed Rudman said, “I don’t know where this one is coming from, but it’s totally unpatriotic for Nigerian companies to have .cv domain instead of having .ng domain.
“You know, Google registered google.ng. Other big organisations, when they are in-country, they are doing business with that country, they try to register the local domain.
“Imagine if you have 20,000 registered domains in addition. It gives Nigeria more visibility. Why do Nigerian companies that have been trained by Nigerian money purchase .cv domain for another country? It’s completely not right.
“And I hope that the minister will yield to the call of Nigerians towards ensuring that we patronize local companies and patronize local registry for .ng.”
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program is a Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy initiative that trains willing Nigerians in high-demand digital skills. The free, fully sponsored program connects participants with local and global job opportunities to establish Nigeria as a net talent exporter.
The hybrid learning model focuses on high-demand technical areas, including Software Development, UI/UX Design, Data Analysis & Visualization, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Animation, and DevOps. The program uses online modules, localized applied learning clusters, and mentorship to equip fellows with hands-on experience.
Industry experts argue that 3MTT and the broader ministry should actively leverage and integrate the .ng domain, which is managed by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), to ensure Nigeria retains its digital identity and data security and sovereignty.
