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By Chinenye Anuforo
Nigeria’s digital economy is facing a major challenge as a shortage of specialised technology talent continues to slow innovation and business growth, according to Zoho Nigeria.
Country Head of Zoho Nigeria, Kehinde Ogundare, said the growing shortage of software developers and cybersecurity professionals across Africa is widening the gap between technological advancement and the human capacity required to sustain it.
Ogundare, in a commentary titled “Beyond the Vibe: Bridging Africa’s Build Divide with Intelligent Infrastructure,” noted that although Africa’s internet economy continues to expand and cloud adoption accelerates, the continent risks becoming merely a consumer of digital solutions developed elsewhere if it fails to address its talent deficit.
He said Africa’s internet economy was projected to contribute about $180 billion to aggregate GDP by 2025, while cloud adoption is growing at between 25 and 30 per cent annually.
According to him, the pace of technological growth is far exceeding the supply of skilled professionals needed to build and maintain digital infrastructure.
Citing a 2024 ICT Skills Survey, Ogundare said more than 28,000 high-end developer and cybersecurity positions in South Africa were outsourced due to shortages of local talent.
He added that although Nigeria and Kenya recorded developer population growth between 2023 and 2024, they still represent only a small fraction of the global developer community.
Ogundare identified talent migration, weak infrastructure, expensive connectivity and unstable electricity supply as major barriers constraining Africa’s digital ambitions.
He, however, said artificial intelligence-powered low-code development tools and “vibe coding” could help narrow the gap by enabling businesses to develop software applications using natural language prompts instead of conventional programming.
According to him, the technology offers a practical alternative for startups and small businesses that lack the resources to hire full software development teams.
He explained that AI-assisted low-code platforms can help businesses deploy logistics dashboards, automate customer service and digitise operational processes within days.
While acknowledging the potential of AI tools, Ogundare warned against viewing them as substitutes for long-term investment in digital infrastructure and technical education.
He stressed that Africa would require about 650 million digital training opportunities by 2030 to meet rising demand for technology skills.
“What Africa needs is not a choice between AI-assisted development and conventional software engineering, but an intelligent layering of both, supported by sustained investment in technical talent,” he said.
Ogundare projected that Africa’s AI market could reach $16.5 billion by 2030 and urged policymakers, businesses and technology stakeholders to create an environment that supports innovation, skills development and digital infrastructure growth.
He maintained that Africa’s ability to shape its digital future would depend largely on whether it builds technology solutions locally or continues to rely on imported innovation.
