Launched on Saturday, March 15, 2025, the co-working space was built in collaboration with the federal government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program.

Over 100,000 learners are already engaged, and with a vision to train millions of tech talents, this initiative is an aggressive drive to leverage a Proof-of-Skills Hiring model for digital economic growth across the country.

According to the keynote speaker, Francis Sani, technical adviser for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Capital to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the country has the largest youth population in Africa and a median age of 16 years, compared to 38 in the U.S. and 46 in Japan. This is an unmatched advantage in the drive for global tech competitiveness.

However, access to quality training and employment pathways has been a major challenge. “We have the talent, we have the ambition, but we must scale up digital skills to compete globally,” he said.

The XTERNS Hub aims to bridge the gap between learning and earning, ensuring that graduates are not just trained but also integrated into the workforce.

Dare Olufunmilayo, founder of Darey.io, said: “No one has to wait to be hired; our system ensures talent proves itself before stepping into an interview.

“Thousands of Nigerians have started their careers through Darey.io, working for top global companies, launching startups, and creating groundbreaking solutions. Xterns.ai is our next big leap—where we don’t just train talents; we integrate them directly into the workforce through our Proof-of-Skills Hiring model.

This is why today’s theme—Tech & Tea: Brewing Nigeria’s Technology Innovation Future—is so important. It reflects our belief that, just like brewing the perfect tea, building a thriving digital economy requires the right ingredients: talent, innovation, and collaboration,” Olufunmilayo explained.

One of the limitations to digital innovation in Nigeria has been infrastructure, particularly internet access. However, Nigeria is currently working to ensure a fibre optic uprising.

“We are currently at about 35,000 kilometres of fibre. The $2 billion broadband expansion project will add 90,000 kilometres more in the next two years,” Sani revealed. “This will position Nigeria as one of the top 10 countries globally in internet penetration.”

This will also help connect remote areas, ensuring that tech talent from across the country can participate in the digital economy.

Tech Without Tools?

Another challenge has been hardware accessibility. Many aspiring tech talents lack basic laptops, which are now priced at an average of ₦500,000.

To address this, Darey.io is launching the Dare Olufunmilayo Human Capital Foundation, aimed at providing laptops and stipends to learners.

“We need the private sector to step up,” Olufunmilayo stated. “Government alone cannot do this. We must collaborate to give young people the tools they need to succeed.”

AI, Automation, and the Job Market

With AI, the nature of work is changing. Olufunmilayo and Sani stressed that Nigeria needs to move from being a technology consumer to a producer.

“The world will look very different in five years,” Sani stated. “This is another Industrial Revolution. The question is; will Nigeria be on the side of consumers or creators?”

To place the country on the right side of history, XTERNS.ai is incorporating AI-powered project-based learning to ensure graduates gain real-world experience rather than just theoretical knowledge.

With 5000 learners trained in four years and a 100,000+ talent pipeline already in motion, Darey.io and XTERNS.ai are scaling operations with speed. 

The next target is 3 million trained professionals, a goal that will require government support, private sector investment, and international collaboration.

“We are not out of the race; we are exactly where we need to be,” Sani said. “Nigeria has the ambition, the talent, and now, the infrastructure. This is our moment.”

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Founded by Edward Enejoh, a passionate entrepreneur with a diverse background in product marketing and digital project management, Marketlyhub is transforming the career for individuals striving to integrate into the UK job market.

Edward Enejoh is a Nigerian and UK-based tech career advisor and project manager. With an MBA from Nexford University in Washington, D.C., and a degree in Physics from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, his journey into entrepreneurship began during his university days. 

Over the past decade, he has helped multiple businesses and individuals achieve measurable success through strategic product marketing and digital project management.

Edward’s entrepreneurial spirit was ignited in 2006, while he was an undergraduate studying physics. Driven by a love for creative design, he taught himself to design, code, and build websites, starting with yearbook albums for final-year students, a venture that sparked his passion for solving real-world problems. 

This venture allowed him to create valued products. His skills evolved, enabling him to assist businesses in building websites and running digital marketing campaigns. 

By 2013, he worked as a business analyst and project manager for a leading African management consulting firm, we went on to deliver successful project outcomes for private companies, governments, and international organizations. In 2020, he fully transitioned to managing digital projects before moving to the UK in late 2022.

MarketlyHub was born from Edward’s observation of the challenges talented individuals from diverse backgrounds face in integrating into the UK job market. He found that many possess skills and qualifications from their home countries but struggle to adapt them locally. 

MarketlyHub aims to bridge this gap by providing career support and through their EdTech solution to support the community. Edward’s vision was to create a platform that offers tailored services to help these individuals thrive. 

Edward received a scholarship grant from Afrigrowth Foundation in 2012, where he gained valuable digital and project management skills. These skills paved the way for his corporate career and inspired him to create MarketlyHub, a platform that offers support and mentoring on a larger scale.

Marketlyhub is on a mission to equip and upskill 3,000 individuals with in-demand tech skills by 2027, helping them to succeed in their new environments. Through career coaching, mentoring, and tailored training workshops, Marketlyhub focuses on the specific needs of migrants and ethnic minorities. 

What truly sets MarketlyHub apart is its personalized approach, addressing challenges like cultural differences and limited local experience.

Through collaboration with local organisations, graduates from their programme are paired with local businesses where they work and deploy their skills to help the local businesses while gaining hands-on experiences. 

With plans to expand across the UK, Marketlyhub aims to become a leading resource for migrant integration. In their recent cohort, they awarded scholarships to 8 participants; the total training value is worth over £10,000 covering professional coaching and mentoring services delivered through their learning management system. 

Beneficiaries of the programme have recorded success in landing jobs as project managers working for organisations in the UK. 

By creating an inclusive environment for learning and career development, MarketlyHub is creating a diverse and vibrant community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Edward advises aspiring entrepreneurs to stay focused on their mission, listen to users or customers, adapt to changes, and build strong networks. 

He stays motivated by seeing the positive impact on people’s lives and continuously striving to improve the value offered to the community.

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This was said by Kashifu Abdullahi, Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), on a panel at the 16th LEX Annual Lecture, delivered virtually.

The lecture’s subject was “Digital Economy: Africa’s Catalyst for Regional Growth and Transformation.”

According to Abdullahi, there are currently roughly four million programmers needed around the world, and Nigeria has the ability to produce two million of them. These programmers might be integrated into the global value chain.

The NITDA DG also cited a PwC research stating that the typical IT developer or programmer makes $90,000 annually.

According to him, PwC affirmed that Nigeria could make over $40 billion yearly, which was a sizeable sum capable of solving the country’s forex problem, if it had two million, remote developers, earning an average of $20,000 apiece.

“The digital economy is about skill, people, and innovation. Therefore, talent is the human component of technology, and here is where Nigeria, in my opinion, would have a competitive advantage over all other countries, Abdullahi remarked.

“Globally, we’re not there yet, but with what the government is doing—like the Startup Bill and other initiatives we’ve put in place, I think Nigeria will be—and we should be thinking of ourselves as leading players in the digital economy,” said the official.

The head of NITDA cited a recent Korn Ferry report that estimated a global talent gap of 85 million, with countries like Brazil and Japan having roughly 18 million apiece. He said that all industrialized nations would be affected by this shortage.

He stated that Nigeria might profit from the projected $8.5 trillion global deficit by utilizing its enormous human talent pool and its young population.

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Mr Samuel Adeleye, the Managing Director of Walure Capital, stated this at the formal launch of Walure Capital corporate office and Walure Hub in Lagos, recently.

The Hub is a co-working space specifically designed for tech talents, start-ups, remote workers, teams, and orgaisations.

Mr Adeleye who expressed excitement for the future of technology in Nigeria, disclosed that Walure Capital is keen on helping tech talents across Nigeria to unleash their full potentials and explore opportunities in the tech ecosystem.

He also emphasised that the company wants to address the issue of young tech talents wanting to leave Nigeria.

“Talents are not just in Lagos alone. What we plan to do is to replicate this in every strategic state. We are working with close to two hundred developers. We want to empower people with access to rare opportunities in technology space”.

Meanwhile, as a one-stop company that delivers technology exposure for global impact, Walure Capital, through its academy, Walure Academy, provides a range of professional courses, designed to help talents upgrade their skills and improve performance in a given career.

Speaking on Walure Academy, General Manager, Walure Capital, Mr Obafemi Okubanjo, stated that the Academy offers online, onsite, and in-plant learning modes, using state-of-the-art technology, which includes the use of light-board technology for online learning.

Mr Okubanjo highlighted some of the courses offered by Walure Academy, which include Product Design, Front End Development, Back End Development, Software Quality Assurance, Software Quality Assurance Automation Testing, Flutter Development, Cyber Security, Azure DevOps, and more.

He further stated that organisations that operate a hybrid mode of work can take advantage of Walure co-working space for their employees on the mainland.

The event which was well attended by dignitaries in the private and public sectors drew the commendations of Lagos State Commissioner of Physical Planning, Mr Gbenga Salako as well as other high profile individuals.

The Commissioner commended Walure Capital for playing a critical role in making Lagos state the hub for tech talents.

“What you are actually doing is in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda of Lagos State Government. What the Governor was looking at is also what you are doing: bring back those tech experts who have the knowledge, the brain to do great things, back to the State”, he said.

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