The chief executive of Nigerian fintech Moniepoint has said the company is struggling to fill hundreds of vacancies, pointing to a widening talent gap in Africa’s most populous country.
Speaking at a public event in Lagos, Tosin Eniolorunda said the firm has about 500 open roles but is unable to find candidates who meet its standards, despite a deliberate shift towards hiring locally.
“We made a decision that we will no longer hire from any other place than Nigeria,” he said. “If you go to Moniepoint’s careers website, we have maybe 500 vacancies and we are struggling to find people to fill those roles.”
Beyond the shortage of applicants, Eniolorunda suggested that the quality of available talent has also fallen short of expectations in a company competing on a global stage.
“Not only could we not find people at the quality and the quantity we needed, the few people that we found were not up to the global standards that we need,” he said, adding that the firm must recruit “world-class people” to remain competitive internationally.
The remarks reflect broader concerns within Nigeria’s technology sector, where rapid growth has collided with a limited pipeline of highly skilled workers. Eniolorunda attributed the gap to structural weaknesses in education, as well as shifting social values among young people.
“I used to feel like Nigerians are really, really bright, but I’m beginning to feel like we need to do something,” he said, pointing to the influence of environment and changing aspirations.
He also raised concerns about the appeal of internet fraud and “quick money” culture, which he argued is undermining long-term career development, while the continued emigration of skilled professionals – widely referred to as “japa” – has further depleted the talent pool.
“The level that people are reasoning in this country is not as high as it used to be,” he said.
Calling for a more deliberate focus on human capital development, Eniolorunda urged policymakers, educators and industry leaders to create pathways for sustainable careers and provide stronger role models for young Nigerians.
“In a country of over 200 million people, there are many alternatives to becoming a ‘big boy’ or chasing quick money,” he said.
