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By John Ogunsemore
IT professional and cybersecurity expert, Omowunmi Makinde, has harped on the adoption of deliberate strategies to retain tech talents in Nigeria, emphasizing that sustaining the nation’s digital workforce is crucial for economic growth and global competitiveness.
In a statement, she asserted that Nigeria’s technology sector, despite its impressive growth and global recognition, is at risk of stagnation if urgent measures are not taken to strengthen the local talent pipeline.
Makinde noted that while Nigeria has one of the largest pools of tech professionals in Africa spanning developers, designers, and product managers the sustainability of this growth is under serious threat.
According to her, “the success of Nigeria’s tech system has ironically created a new challenge, where our most skilled professionals are now being absorbed by international companies offering remote positions with salaries far beyond what local firms can afford.”
She explained that this trend has led to a form of digital brain drain, where many talented individuals remain in the country physically but contribute little to the local system’s advancement.
She identified the widening education gap as one of the root causes of the challenge, stressing that many computer science and engineering programs in Nigerian tertiary institutions still rely on outdated curricula that fail to prepare students for the realities of modern software development.
“We have a growing number of smart young people, but our educational structures have not evolved fast enough to equip them with the kind of deep technical knowledge that fuels innovation,” she said.
She further added that while coding bootcamps and online training programs have helped bridge some of the gaps, they often prioritize short-term employability over building a solid foundation for sustained technological advancement.
Makinde also stressed that the inability of local companies to retain skilled professionals remains a major concern.
The statement further noted that while Nigeria continues to attract large venture capital inflows, much of the investment goes to consumer-facing applications rather than human capital and infrastructure development. Makinde described this as an “investment paradox”.
She further emphasized the need for the government to take a more consistent and enabling approach to sustaining the country’s technology growth.
While initiatives such as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have contributed to the digital economy framework, she maintained that weak implementation and inconsistent regulations often send discouraging signals to investors and innovators.
Makinde stressed that achieving sustainability in Nigeria’s tech workforce required coordinated effort among government, academia, and industry players.
Makinde is a seasoned IT professional with over six years of experience in networking, systems administration, cybersecurity, and IT operations.
