…Up to 80 percent of work in Nigeria is precarious, lacking dignity, stability, or full utilisation of skills
…Although AI may displace 92 million jobs, it is expected to create 170 million
…Foreign employers watch for red flags like delayed responses, vague claims, turned-off cameras, and overstated availability.
Data from Jobberman indicates that 62 percent of international companies are actively recruiting young Africans, either for full-time remote positions or via freelance platforms.
These opportunities are concentrated in high-demand sectors such as technology, finance, customer success, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Delivering on the data and trends at the Jobberman Lagos remote work fest 2025, Olamide Adeyeye, country head of programmes at Jobberman Nigeria, reinforced the urgency of preparing Africa’s workforce for global opportunities. The work fest was themed ‘Work beyond borders: Building Africa’s global remote workforce’.
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“The world is hiring and Africa is ready,” he told the audience, urging them to see beyond Nigeria’s national unemployment statistics and focus on the realities confronting young people. He emphasised that despite revised unemployment figures, up to 80 percent of work captured under official metrics is precarious, meaning it fails to offer dignity, stability or full utilisation of skills, re-inforcing the usefulness of foreign remote jobs. “The question remains: what is the reality for a young person in Nigeria?” he asked.
He highlighted Africa’s demographic advantage that positions it for foreign jobs. “The median age in Nigeria is 17.9 and over 51 percent of our population are Gen Zs and millennials,” he said. In contrast, many European nations face ageing populations and now rely on younger foreign workers.
He also pushed back against fears of technological displacement. “AI may displace 92 million jobs, but it will create 170 million,” he said, describing the shift as a ‘net advantage’ for adaptable workers.“AI may not take your job, but someone who uses AI might,” he cautioned.
Top global hiring priorities
Adeyeye advised young talent to acquire the top global hiring priorities as technical expertise alone is not enough because over 57 percent of employers rank communication as the most important skill., which can be broadly summarised into communication, self-management, technical competence and AI fluency.
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CVs plays a small part in hiring decisions; interviews seen as auditions
Adeyeye explained that CVs now account for just 20 percent of hiring decisions, with employers increasingly treating interviews as auditions.
He listed red flags employers watch for which are delayed communication, vague claims without proof, cameras turned off during interviews and overstated availability.
The green flags are prompt, proactive communication, verifiable work samples, good digital infrastructure and thoughtful and asking relevant questions. “Your writing is your presence. Your communication is your visibility,” he emphasised.
Preparing for a borderless workforce
Adeyeye urged young Africans to learn, unlearn and re-learn; saying that success in global teams requires multicultural awareness. “What brought you here may not take you there,” he said, recalling his experience navigating international team dynamics.“If you only understand conversations around Chelsea or Arsenal, but your colleagues are discussing rugby, you will struggle. You must be culturally fluent.”
