Not enough African Tech talent?

During the peak of COVID-19, when the demand for tech talent was at an all-time high, I had a conversation with a tech founder. He mentioned that remote jobs outside the continent favored hiring Nigerians over Ghanaians, simply because Nigerians were perceived as more talented—though we can debate that point. Recently, however, there’s a new trend: local firms are increasingly focused on recruiting talent globally, especially from outside the continent.

I recently came across a vacancy list from a top tech firm in Nigeria that specified recruitment from countries other than where the company was founded. This raises the question: Are African tech talents struggling to meet the quality and speed required to build top-notch products or brands? Has the pool of senior developers been largely absorbed by top-tier tech companies? Or is the challenge more about recruiting and retaining senior technical talent within Africa? Or maybe perhaps the most beneficial approach is to have a mix of local and foreign talents in technical teams.

Traditionally, first-world countries have outsourced talent from Asia and Africa. However, it's intriguing to see the tables turn, with some African tech firms now outsourcing talent from Asian countries like India, as well as from Europe and America.

This is what GB of Flutterwave had to say

Anyway, this subtle shift is in motion, it could be a sign of a more diverse and competitive approach. Even though bringing in global talent can boost innovation, it's crucial we keep local talent in the loop, hence you should join our Whatsapp community for daily news updates - but let me know what you think about all of this.

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