Countries luring Nigeria’s tech talents to relocate

Several countries have begun enticing Nigerian tech professionals to relocate with the promise of lucrative opportunities.

According to a report from CompTIA. tech occupations across the economy in May 2023 increased by 45,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate for tech occupations decreased slightly from 2.1 percent to 2 percent.

Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany are leading the charge in attracting Nigeria’s brightest minds in the tech sector.

These nations recognise the immense potential and talent that Nigeria has to offer, and they are actively seeking to leverage it for their technological advancements.

The exodus of Nigerian tech talents is primarily driven by factors, including limited local infrastructure, inadequate government support, and a lack of access to funding and resources.

Despite these challenges, Nigeria’s tech professionals have managed to achieve remarkable success, with several homegrown start-ups gaining international recognition and securing significant investments.

Canada

Canada recently unveiled its first-ever immigration tech talent strategy that will create new job opportunities for other countries including Nigeria.

The talent strategy which was launched at the 2023 Collision Conference in Toronto, includes new measures and improvements on existing rules to help businesses in Canada thrive in a competitive landscape.

The International Mobility Program will attract highly skilled workers, with options including employer-specific work permits for up to five years for workers destined to work for a company identified by the federal government as contributing to its industrial innovation goals, and open work permits for up to five years for highly skilled workers in select in-demand occupations.

Germany

Germany is a country with a number of fast-growing tech hubs.

A Deloitte study found that Munich is the key hub in the country, where you can find the highest number of STEM jobs and the highest level of specialisation in the ICT sector.

However, many tech talents are attracted to the country because of its strong welfare system, low crime rate, good wages, excellent childcare, and great healthcare service. Its proximity to other European countries means travel across the EU is easy.

Recently, the German parliament passed an immigration law designed to encourage more people from outside the EU, including Nigeria, to come to Germany for work.

United States

Many companies in the US tend to hire remote workers while others aim to bring their talent back into the office over the coming months.

The US is luring Nigerian tech talent to relocate due to the skill gap, competitive advantage, economic benefits, access to global networks, brain drain considerations, and the promotion of diversity and inclusion.

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This recruitment strategy helps the US maintain its position as a global leader in the technology industry and fosters collaboration and innovation within its tech ecosystem.

Australia

The Australia Global Talent Visa is a distinguished initiative created to entice talented individuals in specific industries, such as technology and innovation, so they can contribute their knowledge to the nation’s economy.

This visa program rewards great talent and offers a quick route to citizenship for people with outstanding records of accomplishment on a global scale or who have the potential to become leaders in their areas.

Candidates must have the necessary technical skills and have the potential to earn more than the AUD162,000 high-income threshold required by Fair Work for this programme, which focuses on vital skill sectors like fintech, Healthtech, and Agritech.

The program is invitation-based, and applicants must be nominated by an eligible organisation or endorsed by a Global Talent Officer. The visa provides a streamlined pathway to permanent residency in Australia and offers flexibility regarding work and study after three to four years.

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United Kingdom

The UK government’s Global Talent Visa, which enables tech talent to work in the country’s digital technology sector through Tech Nation, the official endorsing body for the Digital Technology route, has processed over 4,200 applications from 90 countries since it replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa in 2014.

According to The Tech Nation Visa Report 2021, Nigeria is the African country with the most applicants for the UK Global Tech Talent Visa, ranking third in the world with 11.3 percent of applications globally.

The Tech Nation Visa continues to attract the brightest and best talent to the UK, people looking to switch to working in the tech sector either in tech or non-tech roles, within or outside the tech sector, and hoping to relocate to the UK.

Despite the cessation of the operation for the Global Talent visa as of March 31, 2023. Tech Nation will still assess digital technology applications.

The UK government says the interim solution will remain in place until a new body can take on full handling of the program.