The graduation was celebrated at a Demo Day event held in Lagos, themed “Training Done! Demo Up!”, where participants presented capstone projects built to real-world engineering standards.

The graduation comes at a crucial time for Africa’s tech ecosystem. Although Nigeria’s tech talent is growing, it isn’t sufficient, especially at the mid-to-senior engineering level, where demand far exceeds supply.

By 2030, the global shortage of software developers could reach 85 million, leading to economic losses of $5.5 trillion. For a continent developing its digital infrastructure, this is critical. Moniepoint’s DreamDevs Bootcamp is a strategic response to these challenges.

The nine-week curriculum, created by Moniepoint’s Engineering Unit in partnership with Semicolon, covered Java Object-Oriented Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms, Software Testing, MySQL, Spring Boot APIs, System Design, Docker, Messaging Queues, Frontend UI, and Cloud Infrastructure. Participants received programme stipends and mentorship from experienced Moniepoint software engineers, gaining valuable exposure to the production environment of one of Africa’s fastest-growing fintech firms.

During the Demo Day presentation, the participants paired into 9 teams were excited to showcase how they have deployed knowledge and skills gained during the course of the bootcamp  into real and useful  solutions in real estate, hospital management, event management, food and agriculture.

Commenting, Felix Ike, co-founder and chief technology officer of Moniepoint, said,

“DreamDevs is a structural investment in Nigeria’s digital economy, not a recruitment exercise, not a pipeline built solely to serve Moniepoint’s hiring needs. That said, we are proud that some graduates from our first cohort are already active members of our engineering team, proof that when young African engineers are given the right training and the right environment, they can compete at the highest level”.

Felix added:

“Engineering excellence is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is a curated and intentionally built process that requires the right systems, the right resources, and sufficient time to take hold. Building that process and making it accessible to the brightest young engineers on this continent is a responsibility we have chosen to own.

“Africa’s digital economy is attracting significant global capital, yet the talent infrastructure required to sustain that growth remains underdeveloped.

“The Moniepoint DreamDevs Bootcamp and our other capacity-building initiatives across some of Nigeria’s public universities demonstrate Moniepoint’s commitment to this responsibility.”

The initiative also aligns with Nigeria’s broader national agenda on technology skills development. Moniepoint serves as a key sponsor of the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which focuses on mass technical skills training across the country. While 3MTT addresses the scale challenge, DreamDevs provides depth, offering a specialised, end-to-end pathway from foundational training through to employment within Moniepoint’s complete development ecosystem.

As Nigerian fintechs deepen their infrastructure ambitions, the ability to grow engineering capacity that feeds these aspirations requires an urgent industry intervention, as Moniepoint is demonstrating to address Africa’s engineering talent challenge.

Designed to nurture the brightest minds on the continent, this transformative program aims to equip recent graduates with practical tech skills and invaluable real-world experience, addressing the persistent challenges in tech talent sourcing across Africa.

Targeting graduates from technology, computer science, engineering, and related fields with foundational programming knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, DreamDevs offers a rigorous nine-week boot camp that immerses participants via hands-on training from leading software engineers and experience building impactful products for millions of people.

The DreamDevs initiative comes at a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s digital economy, which has seen remarkable growth over the past two decades.

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector contributed 18% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2024, underscoring its importance as a backbone for economic diversification.

However, the global tech workforce faces a significant challenge, with 4.5 million unfilled tech jobs worldwide—a gap that is expected to widen as demand for skilled workers outpaces supply. Initiatives like DreamDevs aim to address this shortage by nurturing local talent capable of competing on both domestic and global stages.

The program officially launched following a competitive hackathon that identified 20 exceptional young talents who earned their place in the boot camp.

Over the course of nine weeks, these participants will undergo intensive training in topics such as Java Refresher, Google Cloud Platform, Kafka Fundamentals, Google Cloud ML/AI, and Advanced Java, ensuring they develop the technical proficiency required to thrive in today’s digital economy. At the end of the boot camp, standout participants will earn internship opportunities, opening doors to further professional development, while all participants have the potential to secure full-time positions with Moniepoint.

Felix Ike, co-founder and chief technology officer of Moniepoint Inc, emphasized the company’s commitment to Africa’s future, stating that investing in young talent is crucial for driving technological advancement across the continent.

He highlighted that DreamDevs goes beyond just training; it is a strategic effort to create a pathway for ambitious graduates to become key players in Africa’s evolving tech landscape.

“We have always envisioned a transformative approach to technology, using it to power the dreams of millions and engineering financial happiness across the land,” Ike said. “By providing practical experience, upskilling opportunities, startup incubation, and product development support, DreamDevs equips participants to become invaluable assets to the tech industry while contributing to the government’s vision for a thriving digital economy in Nigeria.”

Moniepoint’s program complements existing government efforts such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which aims to create two million digital jobs by 2025 and position Nigeria as a net exporter of tech talent.

Together, these programs are building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone—a foundational pillar in the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy’s strategic blueprint.

With a track record of investing in tech talent across Africa, with previous initiatives such as Moniepoint HatchDev, a specialized nine-month training program in partnership with NITHub Unilag, and its hugely popular Women in Tech initiative, Moniepoint has consistently demonstrated its commitment and dedication to  leveraging digital technology for growth across all sectors while prioritizing infrastructure development and positioning itself as a driving force in the continent’s technological evolution.

This ambitious program seeks to nurture the continent’s brightest minds, equipping them with practical tech skills and invaluable real-world experience that will mitigate current challenges around tech talent sourcing in Africa.

DreamDevs by Moniepoint targets very recent graduates with a background in technology, computer science, engineering, or related fields who possess fundamental programming knowledge that include  HTML, CSS and foundational JavaScript.

Over a rigorous nine-week boot camp, these young tech enthusiasts will receive hands-on training and exposure to cutting-edge industry technology.

“We believe in investing in Africa’s future,” says Felix Ike, co-founder/chief technology officer, Moniepoint Inc, “and that starts with empowering young people as we join hands to grow Africa’s best talent through technology. DreamDevs is about more than just training; it’s about creating a pathway for ambitious graduates to become the driving force of technological advancement in Africa.”

He continues,

“We have always envisioned a transformative approach to technology, using it to power the dreams of millions and engineering financial happiness across the land. The DreamDevs initiative perfectly aligns with this vision. By providing participants with practical experience, upskilling opportunities, startup incubation, and product development support, DreamDev equips them to become invaluable assets to the tech industry. We are thrilled to be part of an initiative that supports the government’s efforts to build a thriving digital economy for Nigeria.”

At the end of the boot camp, standout participants will earn internship opportunities, providing a gateway to further professional development, and all participants have the potential to secure full-time positions with Moniepoint.

As Africa’s tech revolution continues to transform the continent’s socio-economic landscape from fintech to AI, Moniepoint has consistently demonstrated its fidelity to improving the tech talent pipeline with initiatives like Moniepoint HatchDev, which is carried out in collaboration with NITHub Unilag, and organized as a nine-month specialized training programme that produces 300 junior software engineers, 100 intelligent systems developers, and 100 IoT/embedded systems engineers annually.

With the call for entry, universities and other collaborating partners are primed to play a pivotal role in nurturing the next wave of tech dreamers and innovators.

How to apply

To apply or learn more about the DreamDevs programme, visit the link HERE.