There are hints that Microsoft African Development Centre (ADC), based in Lagos, Nigeria, may close its West Africa division.
This was disclosed to The Guardian on Tuesday by knowledgeable industry sources, though Microsoft has not yet released an official announcement.
It was said that Microsoft management had alerted the employees about the unexpected development on Monday.
Based on facts gathered, affected employees may get their HMOs and wages through June.
When contacted yesterday, a source in the Microsoft Lagos office declined to comment or confirm the development.
At this point, I am unable to comment on that. I’m grateful, the source said.
Although the precise reason for the ADC’s closure is yet unknown, industry insiders suggested it might have something to do with the nation’s current economic circumstances.
However, the industry source claimed that “only that of Nigeria” is impacted, leaving ADC in East Africa, which is based in Nairobi, Kenya, unaffected.
After being established in 2019, the ADC made its debut in Nigeria in 2022. Microsoft invested $100 million in two development facilities in Africa, one of which is situated in Nairobi. It was stated that ADC has employed over 200 people in Nigeria overall, including 120 engineers, since its founding.
Microsoft ADC, West Africa’s Managing Director, Gafar Lawal, stated during the debut in 2022, “We intended to recruit 500 full-time engineers by the end of the year or by 2023.” But as of right now, we’ve surpassed 500. This is to inform you of the wealth of talent found throughout Africa.
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Isah Pantami and Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu commissioned the ADC.
The goal of the ADC was to support the development of technological solutions that address issues in Africa and around the world.
“Our goal is to assemble outstanding engineering talent from all around the continent who can create ground-breaking solutions with an international influence. In a statement, Microsoft said, “This also creates opportunities for engineers to do meaningful work from their home countries and be plugged into a global engineering and development organisation.”
The Microsoft Garage, an organisation created to scale innovation in the IT sector, was also based at the ADC building in Lagos. Expanding Microsoft’s footprint in Africa will benefit partners and clients using Microsoft products in sectors critical to the continent, such as FinTech, AgriTech, and OffGrid energy.
