A mass migration wave has hit Nigeria’s tech industry, and the obvious question that comes to mind is “What next?”
Right now, every sector in Nigeria is hemorrhaging, and the impact of this tech exodus can be felt across the mar-tech, Adtech, Edtech, fintech, and health-tech industries.
Amongst other demands, although it may sound like an unprojected phenomenon, Nigeria’s rising tech hub is currently addressing the world’s software developer shortage.
On one hand, Nigerian talents are passionate about learning and working; on the other hand, Nigerian talents are seeking opportunities to test their capabilities and express themselves in an environment that is healthy and filled with unending growth opportunities.
Passion for greatness, burning desire for success and self actualization, economic hardship, and the desire to escape poverty are some of the key factors pushing talents out of Nigeria to “greener” climes.
Jeremy Johnson, Co-founder and CEO of Andela once said of Africa: “If you believe that brilliance is evenly distributed but opportunity is not, then you have to conclude that there are places where there are staggering numbers of extraordinarily bright people who just don’t have a path in the formal economy.”
From healthcare to the education sector, the demand for African talents and skilled population have seen tremendous growth; and now, where most parts of the western world are suffering the Great Resignation, African tech talents have over the last two years, fallen on the radar of global businesses, leading to mass hiring.
Post pandemic demands, coupled with the booming startup ecosystem, and the increased adoption of remote work, according to Google, continues to shape the opportunities for developers and the tech community in Africa.
Additionally, the presence of big techs on the African continent also sits as a major driver of the demand for tech talents in Africa. In 2021, Nigeria’s professional developer population had the largest magnitude growth of any African country during this time, with an estimated 5,000 new professional software developers.
And with 1.3 million software development jobs expected to arise within the next decade, Africa will soon have the biggest impact in supplying tech talent to the world.
