‘We need you badly’ — Moniepoint CEO appeals to Nigerian tech talents after backlash over vacancy comments

• Moniepoint CEO clarified that his comments targeted shortage of senior technical talent.

• He blamed brain drain, weak education, and limited industry pipelines.

• The earlier statement sparked backlash from Nigerians online.

• Moniepoint says it pays above-market salaries and invests in talent development.

The Chief Executive Officer of Moniepoint has issued a clarification following backlash over his recent statement suggesting that the company struggled to find suitably qualified Nigerians to fill hundreds of vacancies.

The comments had earlier sparked outrage online after the fintech executive said Moniepoint had over 500 open roles but could not find enough Nigerians with the skills required to compete at global standards.

Many Nigerians criticised the remarks, accusing the company of unfairly blaming workers while ignoring concerns around salaries, hiring expectations, and working conditions.

However, in a follow-up statement released after the controversy, the Moniepoint CEO said his comments were specifically directed at the shortage of highly skilled senior technical professionals still residing in Nigeria, not Nigerians generally.

“I have followed with rapt attention the discourse that followed my conversation,” he wrote, adding that Nigerians remain “some of the most hardworking and gritty people in the world.”

He argued that Nigeria currently lacks enough senior-level technical talent capable of building and managing globally competitive technology companies, particularly in areas such as payments infrastructure, data science, digital growth, and financial technology operations.

According to him, many experienced professionals have emigrated abroad through the ongoing “Japa” wave, leaving companies to compete for a shrinking pool of top talent within the country.

He referenced concerns previously raised by former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, as well as comments attributed to Aliko Dangote regarding the challenge of finding sufficiently experienced technical workers for large-scale industrial projects.

The Moniepoint boss also blamed the country’s struggling education system and lack of enough “feeder industries” that help young professionals gain experience before moving into senior positions.

Despite the criticism, he maintained that the company pays competitive salaries and even retains some Nigerian talents abroad by matching international market standards.

“We pay above market rates,” he stated, adding that Moniepoint currently employs over 3,500 workers, with more than 90 percent being Nigerians.

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He also highlighted several talent development initiatives run by the company, including the DreamDevs programme, Women in Tech internships, partnerships with universities, and support for the Federal Government’s 3MTT programme.

The statement has continued to generate mixed reactions online. While some Nigerians agreed that brain drain and weak technical education have affected the country’s workforce, others insisted that many local companies still expect global-level output while offering salaries they consider inadequate.