Over a month ago, I shared this wise counsel and the video, "Why Nigeria Will Not Become a Top Tech Talent Exporter, the Need for Manufacturing" with the Nigerian government on social media; instead of looking into this counsel and retracing their steps, they took to their legacy news media to mislead their citizens and justify programs that promise Talent exports.
I want to quickly explore the concept that Nigeria, as a nation, would become a top tech talent exporter. Some stakeholders are discussing this idea on social media.
Perhaps a year ago or a few months ago, this would have been amazing, and it could have worked well. But I'm sorry to break the news to you -- it won't happen. That ship has sailed.
Let me tell you why.
There used to be a time when the development hubs of the world were in remote places, where you had fewer developers on-site and many remote workers trying to get things done. Some of that model will remain, with nations like India continuing to do this. However, any new nation trying to break into that model has lost the opportunity.
Now we are talking about the future of artificial intelligence. The future of AI is in AI agents.
The rate at which these agents are evolving is shocking. When it comes to tech jobs, stakeholders may be discussing jobs like call center positions, but those aren’t exactly ideal for Nigeria. Companies might prefer locations with accents closer to the target audience, like the Philippines, so the customer feels more at ease and doesn’t suspect anything amiss.
Writing positions may only be available for specific niche content. Today, AI agents can ingest data and produce original-sounding content faster than any human. The time to prepare Nigeria to be a tech talent exporter has passed. About a year or even seven months ago, there was an opportunity, but that time is gone. Breaking into markets like software development is also becoming difficult as intelligent AI agents become capable of taking on tasks like code reviews and even writing code. Soon, humans may not be the best coders anymore, and these AI agents are more affordable than hiring developers from Nigeria.
Moreover, Nigeria is already a hub for content creation across Africa. This vast concentration of content creators includes individuals who could have been engineers, engaged in manufacturing, hardware engineering, and other fields critical to the economy. The government has even started discussing funding content creation, but with most companies paying content creators based outside Nigeria, this may not be sustainable.
Now is not the time to fund content creation; it's time to think about the nation's future by investing in education, manufacturing, engineering, and medicine. When the older generation of experts in engineering and manufacturing fades away, there will be a major gap if the government continues focusing on content creation.
It's critical to go back to basics, build infrastructure, and invest in sectors like manufacturing, mining, agriculture, textiles, and tourism. Nigeria’s landscape and natural resources have so much potential to attract tourism, but they’re currently underappreciated.
The Nigerian government needs to prioritize these industries over content creation. The dream of becoming a top tech talent exporter should be let go because that ship has sailed. Prioritize what truly matters and invest in the country’s long-term economic health.
For Nigeria, the solution is manufacturing. Look inward and begin to manufacture.
This wise counsel still stands, you can't propagandize your way out of this
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