Microsoft in Collaboration With Tech4Dev Set to Employ 100,000 Africans

Microsoft, a global tech giant, has announced that it will support Nigeria's Tech4Dev, a non-profit social enterprise, employing 100,000 young Africans through Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) for the next seven years.

The Country Director of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, Mrs. Ola Williams, said millions are being trained in Africa yearly, yet there are few jobs for the population. She said this while discussing the launch of the initiative in Lagos. She noted that Taltrix, a business process outsourcing social enterprise, Tech4Dev, plans to create employment opportunities for the trainees.

Mrs Williams also added that with Nigeria's large population, opportunities made by BPO would be of great advantage.

Speaking About the Potentials in Nigeria

Discussing the importance of technology in Nigeria and other African countries, Mrs Williams talked about how technology can assist in building the economy and also create jobs for millions of unemployed youths and graduates. 

She said,

• Nigerians are innovative. We are hungry to learn, we are entrepreneurs, we are hard-working, and we want to make a difference. However, opportunities must be created to tap into this potential that people have. And for us, our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. Empowerment is about giving them the tools they need to work and creating opportunities for individuals.  

• It’s also important to know that we have young Nigerians who speak good English. We have talented people and are also in a reasonable time zone. So, this has a lining for us in the right places. All that is left for us to do is be deliberate and strategic about how we all tap into this opportunity.

Speaking on the Taltrix Initiative

Taltrix is focused on addressing the unemployment rate in Africa by empowering graduates of Tech4Dev and other digital and creative skills training initiatives with decent jobs. 

With infrastructure set up across 14 cities in Nigeria with a total capacity to employ 1,000 people, Taltrix aspires to become a pan-African force, aiming for 100 cities across the continent in the coming years, a source reported.

Commenting on this, the CEO of Taltrix, Joel Oginsola, said,

• Over the next seven years, we want to employ 100,000 people directly, starting from Nigeria and across Africa. The outsourcing sector has the probability to grow to become a $200 billion sector on the continent.

The CEO believes that with different factors, including Nigeria's vast population and the technology and creative ecosystem, the BPO industry will continue to thrive. He also stated that the government's commitment to providing jobs aligns with Taltrix's vision.

He added, 

• So many variables combine to favour outsourcing in Africa currently; we have multinational companies with local presence and experience looking for cheaper, more effective options to deliver their day-to-day tasks and deliverables. Also, the new administration has made a bold commitment to enabling the employment of a million people through outsourcing, which is vital to our vision at Taltrix.

Similarly, Oladiwura Oladepo, Executive Director of Tech4Dev, shared that the launch of Taltrix would help drive economic growth on the continent.  

Discussing ways to make sure that the launch of Taltrix drives economic growth, Oladiwura Oladepo, the Director of Tech4Dev, shared that,

• Taltrix is not just about filing job roles; we are investing in human capital development to reduce unemployment and underemployment, which will, in turn, drive economic growth and shape a brighter future for Africa. We are also building a bridge to connect underserved, unrepresented, and underrepresented demographics of young people with globally in-demand opportunities for skilled professionals.