Writer: EFOSA JUSTIN
Nigeria is a country with a vibrant demography of young people, and this fact coupled with the increasingly vast population has placed the country among the list of go-to countries in the search of tech talents around the world.
This rave started some years ago with the introduction and provision of tech courses to youths in the country and it has since yielded high value amongst these youth in terms of human capital development.
However, this trend is not as popular in the northern region of the country as it is in other parts. Let’s explore reasons why building tech talents in northern Nigeria is essential.
Since the beginning of the insurgence in the country which has badly affected the northern part of the country, displacing families and businesses, the region has been on the track to regaining its habitability and rebuilding its economy.
Building tech talents in this region can immensely contribute to the economic growth of the region. Investing in tech talents in the north will result in creating more human capital by training people to be skilled and ready for the tech market.
This will in turn reduce the rate of unemployment in the region and foster growth. An effort to reduce unemployment is also a direct effort to combat a potential increase in crime rate.
Keeping the youths busy learning one tech skill or the other keeps them off the streets where they can easily get exposed to social vices and serious crimes such as terrorism.
The tech ecosystem in Nigeria currently shows a clear disparity between the north and other parts of the country.
This is because most tech hubs are usually situated in well-developed cities and in the north these tech hubs are in only a few of the urbanized cities in the north. Building tech talents in the north will help to address the disparity issue between the northern tech ecosystem and that of other regions in the country.
One of the reasons why it is essential to look northwards in search citing tech talent development opportunities is its population.
Nigeria has a population of 213.4 million people with the north accounting for 68.67% of this population.
The northern part carries over half the population of the country and has the potential to produce a high yield in human capital in tech just as the country has produced generally. Building more tech talents in the north will help to increase this number significantly.
Building the talents in the north will create a ripple effect which will result in the continuity of this development as trained techies will carry on the training of other new persons. That way in a matter of time, the population of tech talents will continue to grow in the region.
Developing tech talents in the region will also help to train hands within the region to provide custom tech solutions for the region.
People who live in the north are more conversant with the issues experienced within the technology space of the region and can proffer better-tailored solutions to these problems.
Technology is also a vital tool in nation-building. Developing tech talents in the north will population of tech-inclined people in the society and therefore drive technological advancements and innovations in the region.
A technologically advanced society will experience a rapid digital transformation which will foster development in all sectors of the society such as the health sector, the education sector, agriculture, and the economy at large.
Currently, the demography of northerners in the tech community in Nigeria is relatively low. Making it quite unusual to meet a fellow techie from the north.
However, building tech talents in the north will encourage inclusivity in the Nigerian tech community as it will be a good platform for techies from diverse ethnic backgrounds to meet and work together.
This will further strengthen the unity shared amongst the different ethnic groups in the country.
In summary, the development of tech talents in the northern part of the country is not just about building the north but rather an effort to bring about tech talent development to the whole country.
As the population of the country has been an advantage to the country on the global stage, adding the population power of the north by investing in tech training and infrastructure as well as creating opportunities within tech in the north, will further advance Nigeria’s contribution to the global technology landscape.
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