Outrage as Moniepoint says Nigerians lack the skills to fill the company's 500 vacancies

• Moniepoint CEO said the company has over 500 vacancies it cannot fill with local talent.

• He cited education gaps, lifestyle trends, and “get-rich-quick” culture as challenges.

• Nigerians online strongly rejected the claims, blaming salary levels and hiring standards.

• Debate links to wider concerns about youth employment and skills development in Nigeria.

Public reactions have trailed the comments of the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Moniepoint, Tosin Eniolorunda, who said the company has over 500 job vacancies it has struggled to fill due to a shortage of suitably skilled Nigerian applicants.

Tosin, in a recent speech, explained that Moniepoint operates in a highly competitive global fintech environment and therefore requires workers who meet international standards. He, however, stated that finding such talent locally has been difficult, pointing to challenges such as gaps in the education system, distraction from social media, and what he described as growing “get-rich-quick” lifestyle influences among young people.

He also referenced concerns about social behaviours such as internet fraud culture, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” and a rising preference among some youths for fast earnings over long-term professional development.

The remarks quickly sparked heated reactions across social media, with many Nigerians pushing back against the claims and questioning whether the issue is truly about skills or working conditions.

One user wrote:

“That you can’t find 500 people to fill roles is bullshit. He should just say he can’t find people who will take a mountain of work for shitty salaries.”

Another reaction questioned the company’s recruitment standards:

“Are they even targeting the right people? How does hookup and Yahoo lifestyle become the reason you can’t fill 500 vacancies?”

A third critic argued that talent exists but compensation may be the real issue:

“There’s nothing special in what your company is doing. Bring a school cert and train him, they will still deliver. Talk less of graduates.”

Others compared Moniepoint’s claims to broader employment realities in Nigeria’s private sector, suggesting that many companies expect global-level output while offering local-level pay.

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The timing of both comments has sparked wider conversations online about whether Nigeria is facing a growing employability crisis or whether structural issues such as wages, job conditions, and education quality are being overlooked in discussions about youth behaviour.

While Moniepoint continues to expand its operations across Africa’s fintech space, the reactions highlight a deeper tension between employers’ expectations and job seekers’ perceptions of fairness in the labour market.