I still remember my friend Kemi crying after another failed job interview in Victoria Island. An IT graduate from Federal University of Technology Minna, she had searched for work for eighteen months. That same week, I read about a 19-year-old in Kaduna who joined Boko Haram because “they offered me ₦50,000 monthly when no legitimate job would take me.”
Writing this from UK, where I relocated in 2023, these memories feel more vivid than ever. Distance has given me clarity about both Nigeria’s enormous potential and our tragic waste of it.
The Reality Behind the Numbers
While the National Bureau of Statistics reports youth unemployment at 7.2%, this masks a deeper crisis. When you include underemployment, around 33% of Nigeria’s youth are either jobless or stuck earning survival wages. With over 60% of our 220 million people under 30, we’re talking about 25-30 million young people with limited opportunities.
Yet Nigeria’s tech sector tells a different story. When Stripe acquired Paystack for over $200 million in 2020, it created over 500 direct jobs and thousands more in the ecosystem. This proved Nigerian talent can compete globally when given the right platform.
Living in the UK has shown me what’s possible when infrastructure works. Here, young developers don’t budget millions for diesel generators or plan their day around power outages. They just build great products, a luxury Nigerian entrepreneurs rarely have.
The infrastructure crisis
The numbers are stark. Nigeria generates 4,000-5,000 megawatts for 220 million people, less than 25 watts per person. The UK generates 75,000 megawatts for 67 million people over 1,100 watts per person. Before leaving Nigeria I knew companies spending ₦2 million monthly on generators, money that could hire six developers.
Our 51.9% internet penetration often means expensive, slow mobile data costing more than unlimited fibre broadband costs here in UK. I pay £26 monthly for unlimited fibre and never think about electricity costs. The productivity difference is staggering.
From unemployment to insecurity
The correlation between youth unemployment and insecurity isn’t academic when you’re receiving WhatsApp videos of violence from home. The #EndSARS protests were fuelled by economic frustration, young people who should be building careers were confronting security forces instead.
I’ve met former Nigerian classmates now working at tech companies in the UK. Their AI and cybersecurity expertise could transform Nigeria’s security apparatus. Instead, they’re optimizing ads for British companies while Nigeria struggles with basic digital infrastructure.
The partnership opportunity
This isn’t about aid, it’s about mutual benefit. Nigeria’s population will hit 400 million by 2050, creating the world’s third-largest consumer market. British companies investing in Nigeria’s tech infrastructure today are positioning themselves in tomorrow’s largest market worth $472 billion and growing.
The UK needs data scientists and software engineers skills Nigeria produces abundantly but cannot absorb. British investment in Nigerian fintech already reached $500 million in 2023, proving what’s possible with genuine partnership.
What must happen
For Nigeria: The ₦23.4 trillion budget for capital expenditures should prioritize power and broadband alongside roads. Create special economic zones with guaranteed electricity and internet even if starting with just one per state.
For the UK: Establish billion-dollar infrastructure funds and fast-track visas for Nigerian tech talent with incentives to return home and build local capacity.
For Private Sector: Nigerian banks should dedicate percentages to tech lending. British companies should build African headquarters in Nigeria, creating jobs and knowledge transfer.
The urgency of now
Every month, I watch young British developers solve problems that Nigerian developers could tackle equally well if they had infrastructure support. Nigerian innovations should be represented at AI conferences, but our brightest minds either can’t afford to attend or have already emigrated.
My friend Kemi eventually became a successful freelance graphic designer, earning more than peers in traditional jobs. But she overcame infrastructure barriers that shouldn’t exist in 2024.
The choice is stark, invest in technology infrastructure and youth employment today, or continue managing the consequences of neglect. The statistics may show 7.2% youth unemployment, but millions of brilliant minds are wasting away or emigrating to places like UK where their talents flourish.
Nigeria doesn’t need charity from the UK, it needs partnership. Our youth aren’t a burden to manage they’re an asset waiting to be unleashed. The question isn’t whether we can afford these investments, but whether we can afford to keep losing our brightest minds.
From UK, the view is clear. Nigeria’s moment is now, but the window won’t stay open forever.
