Microsoft To Shut Down West Africa Operation In Nigeria

Reports indicate that Microsoft is contemplating the closure of its African Development Centre located in Lagos State.

If this decision is finalized, it would result in a minimum of 200 employees being displaced.

The repercussions of this move would extend to the technological landscape of the country, potentially influencing job prospects and innovation within the industry.

As per insights from industry experts who shared details with The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday, May 7, Microsoft communicated the shutdown plans to its staff on Monday, May 6.

Affected workers are expected to receive their salaries until June and will retain health insurance coverage.

Sources hint that Nigeria’s challenging economic environment may have contributed to this development.

It is worth noting that the closure is specific to the ADC’s operations in West Africa, based in Nigeria, and does not impact its East Africa facility in Nairobi, Kenya.

In other news, Social media company Meta has announced when Nigerian content creators can monetize their works on social media platforms.

Meta announced on Thursday that, beginning in June 2024, content creators from Nigeria will begin monetizing their works.

Sir Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, stated this while leading a Meta Platforms Incorporated team to meet President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

“Sir Clegg also said Meta will introduce a feature on its Instagram app in June 2024 that will allow Nigerian creators to monetize their content to enable them to earn a living using the app,” presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement.

According to Clegg, the Meta’s head praised Tinubu for issuing the executive order that allowed the Meta-backed deep-sea cable to land in Nigeria.

“It is an extraordinary infrastructure project. When it comes on stream in the first quarter of 2025, it will be twice as much as the capacity of all subsea cables that exist,” he said.

“We buried the cable 50 percent deeper than any other subsea cables under the seabed. It is more powerful and more extensive in terms of its geographical connectivity. It could yield up to 37 billion dollars worth of increase in economic activity in the next two or three years across the African continent.”

Sir Clegg was not the only one who spoke during the event. President Tinubu wants Meta to invest more in Nigeria, especially young people.

“For us in Nigeria, we have a vibrant, gifted, and resourceful youth population. Recognizing that the future is most likely to be AI-enabled, we have to prepare our youths and make them ready to compete and participate in the global economy,” Tinubu said.