We lack specialization in technical field generally. The problem of programmers in Nigeria is replicated in Engineering, maths and other technical field. There are means to have a global reach today and its just a matter of knowing what you are doing.

asalimpo:

are you still in this world so? how many java me phones/tablets are still being manufactured and sold compared to android?
how many trending videos, tutorials are they on java me vs android,ios etc.

You have not heard of java me embedded.

zzzzy:
I'll have to disagree with that, both languages have their pros and cons and both have been extensively used on a large scale. Python is currently overtaking java and c++ as the 1st choice language taught in major institutions. So java and python can be compared

dude I disagree wit u....in "major institutions" 200 l students learn python.... Java is wen u go higher.... U can nevr , I repeat, nevr replace java with Python

asalimpo:


I disagree with you on some issues.
The google algorithm was the most realistic in its time. The market noticed the superiority of its search results and google took off. It's the market shifting to a better product that killed the competition.
Also note that the american market place is ultra competitive. Many startups die without creating any media buzz. If google was a flash in the pan, it wouldve died similarly.
before facebook there was myspace! so facebook wasnt particularly novel an idea.
Yeah, it had massive funding, but the funding came because, the market was already buzzing about it.
The prototype created a buzz in ivy league schools and campuses - people were jumping on the band wagon - before it was hot.
Snapchat - turned down a buy out.
People were using whatsapp - a lot before facebook acquired it.

Very true bro. You hit the nail on the head. good job

Your average office senior or junior staff in the office is either too lazy or uneducated to understand technology.
An average African is too scared to learn technical stuffs because all that matters to Jim is survival and that he can avhieve without technology.
Many of us on this forum took interest in technology because our higher institutions rigorously adopted technology (even if it is just to simplify admission and record keeping) for it to remain a place of learning in the 21st century.
But take a look at the larger society, from failedE-voting to Malfunctioning voting terminals, dysfunctional national identity management programs, ill maintained CCTV surveillance system, name it all. The only area technology has served us convincingly well is the use of ATM, which can be attributed to the need for the banks to upgrade in line with global trends.
Why is Rwanda, a nation with less than 15% percent of our population making headway in the programming and technology than we are? There is a govt will. Their society see technology as a tool to manage their economy with ease but here on Nigeria we acquire technology just to belong to the club of big boys.
I have quiteva lot of programmers give up to soon in this country. Sometimes, I feel only those with a passion for it make something out of it.
If 20% of our population would consume technology for what it is, the so called average programmer in Nigeria will have his or her hands filled.
Sometimes I feel the advent of the global technology space in the last few decades is an opportunity given to us by nature to make up for what we missed in the last few centuries of technology advancement but here we are having a slow start.
The last statistics showed that lesser and lesser Americans took interest in programming but an average American's life is dependent on technology. That is a country that will pay any amount to bring in programming experts because their future as a country is fully dependent on technology.

Here in Nigeria, the schools teach your kids Microsoft office package not because it sees it as a duty to do so or has made computing a necessity in its curriculum but because it wants to attract a parents attention or uses it as a justification to jack up school fees. It's both a perception problem and lack of passion for the skill.

persius555:
Your average office senior or junior staff in the office is either too lazy or uneducated to understand technology.
An average African is too scared to learn technical stuffs because all that matters to Jim is survival and that he can avhieve without technology.
Many of us on this forum took interest in technology because our higher institutions rigorously adopted technology (even if it is just to simplify admission and record keeping) for it to remain a place of learning in the 21st century.
But take a look at the larger society, from failedE-voting to Malfunctioning voting terminals, dysfunctional national identity management programs, ill maintained CCTV surveillance system, name it all. The only area technology has served us convincingly well is the use of ATM, which can be attributed to the need for the banks to upgrade in line with global trends.
Why is Rwanda, a nation with less than 15% percent of our population making headway in the programming and technology than we are? There is a govt will. Their society see technology as a tool to manage their economy with ease but here on Nigeria we acquire technology just to belong to the club of big boys.
I have quiteva lot of programmers give up to soon in this country. Sometimes, I feel only those with a passion for it make something out of it.
If 20% of our population would consume technology for what it is, the so called average programmer in Nigeria will have his or her hands filled.
Sometimes I feel the advent of the global technology space in the last few decades is an opportunity given to us by nature to make up for what we missed in the last few centuries of technology advancement but here we are having a slow start.
The last statistics showed that lesser and lesser Americans took interest in programming but an average American's life is dependent on technology. That is a country that will pay any amount to bring in programming experts because their future as a country is fully dependent on technology.

Here in Nigeria, the schools teach your kids Microsoft office package not because it sees it as a duty to do so or has made computing a necessity in its curriculum but because it wants to attract a parents attention or uses it as a justification to jack up school fees. It's both a perception problem and lack of passion for the skill.

bro, I want to say I love you but homo whispers will start to go round.

One day, we will wake up in this counntry and find out that our medieval way of doing things won't work again.

All these points point to the same thing: the Nigerian climate is not ripe yet for technology.

Why should there be expert programmers when you have to buy fuel, do marketing to find work, pay huge bills for limited data, keep up with a thousand new technologies (you dont know where the next project will come from), and still run your small startup on the side (andella got millions, you could be the next)? Which American, or Rwandan can thrive in these circumstances?

It has nothing to do with the people! Once these circumstances change, you will see people specializing! You will see people coding for weeks non stop. You will see serial founders!

And fact is: these circumstances are changing! Nepa is not nearly there yet but I think they are improving. 4g is slowly taking over. Data rates are falling. Tech companies are rising and they are slowly shifting from 'we want jack of all trades' to 'we want a .net developer'. Government is now using remita to transfer all funds. Buhari was there with Zuckerbarg when he came. All schools have embraced portals and students are seeing how technology simplifies things...students that will become leaders tomorrow.

Just give this profession 5 years, I say!!!

All the veterans here, am sure started when things were even much harder! Today, i can buy 10gb data for 2k while 3 years ago, 8500 couldnt get me 5.5gb. Today there are so many articles online BEGGING me to become a programmer while 3 years ago, it wasnt so. Today, i have companies harrassing me to come and work for them (no joke!), while am sure years back, there were very very few tech companies in the first place.

Just give this profession 5 years!!!

In 2021, everyone who peseveres in this huge market will be smiling.

persius555:
Your average office senior or junior staff in the office is either too lazy or uneducated to understand technology.
An average African is too scared to learn technical stuffs because all that matters to Jim is survival and that he can avhieve without technology.
Many of us on this forum took interest in technology because our higher institutions rigorously adopted technology (even if it is just to simplify admission and record keeping) for it to remain a place of learning in the 21st century.
But take a look at the larger society, from failedE-voting to Malfunctioning voting terminals, dysfunctional national identity management programs, ill maintained CCTV surveillance system, name it all. The only area technology has served us convincingly well is the use of ATM, which can be attributed to the need for the banks to upgrade in line with global trends.
Why is Rwanda, a nation with less than 15% percent of our population making headway in the programming and technology than we are? There is a govt will. Their society see technology as a tool to manage their economy with ease but here on Nigeria we acquire technology just to belong to the club of big boys.
I have quiteva lot of programmers give up to soon in this country. Sometimes, I feel only those with a passion for it make something out of it.
If 20% of our population would consume technology for what it is, the so called average programmer in Nigeria will have his or her hands filled.
Sometimes I feel the advent of the global technology space in the last few decades is an opportunity given to us by nature to make up for what we missed in the last few centuries of technology advancement but here we are having a slow start.
The last statistics showed that lesser and lesser Americans took interest in programming but an average American's life is dependent on technology. That is a country that will pay any amount to bring in programming experts because their future as a country is fully dependent on technology.

Here in Nigeria, the schools teach your kids Microsoft office package not because it sees it as a duty to do so or has made computing a necessity in its curriculum but because it wants to attract a parents attention or uses it as a justification to jack up school fees. It's both a perception problem and lack of passion for the skill.

You know in naija if a thing cannot be effizirized, it will not attract large percentage of people.
Some folks starve just to buy a flashy phone. For some its cars, or expensive schools..
if programming could be marketed in i i-pass-my-neighbour context with evidence (effizy) to show, i bet you
lotta a smart brains wouldav flocked in, they way the chase oil,bank careers. For now the context isnt there, it's just pragmatic and grunt work (typing and staring at a screen all day). Those who saw it as a quick route to fame, maybe after watching the movie ,the social network, quickly lost interest when reality hit them, trying to compile their first block of code.

Time we tell, can you Imagine the increase demand for developers in this country?
Things are changing rapidly, one thing I understands about Nigerians is that an average Nigerian will not drop a kobo for ICT or for any Idea if, he is not a competitive disadvantage or he doesnt see the ICT making is competitor more money than him. Someone,somewhere is changing the rule and will continue to change the rule and that will create more impetus for more ICT expert demand.

asalimpo:


Then ... when you're chased by (a) lion(s), you'll have a race condition ! - maybe u'll understand the concept deeper after that.

Lol

What I will just like to say is that "We, Programmers don't belong to this world, We are just trying to fit in this world of theirs...."

asalimpo:


its common to find an old person still practicing law - same doesnt go for I.T.
A lawyer has more social status than a coder because of the reach of his potential.
A lawyer can branch out into politics, get into governance, intimidate the ignorant etc He wields so much power because the fabric of modern civilization is written and interpreted in law!
ditto for architects, accountants , financial analyst/investment bankers, bankers.

100% true mate

larisoft:
All these points point to the same thing: the Nigerian climate is not ripe yet for technology.

Why should there be expert programmers when you have to buy fuel, do marketing to find work, pay huge bills for limited data, keep up with a thousand new technologies (you dont know where the next project will come from), and still run your small startup on the side (andella got millions, you could be the next)? Which American, or Rwandan can thrive in these circumstances?

It has nothing to do with the people! Once these circumstances change, you will see people specializing! You will see people coding for weeks non stop. You will see serial founders!

And fact is: these circumstances are changing! Nepa is not nearly there yet but I think they are improving. 4g is slowly taking over. Data rates are falling. Tech companies are rising and they are slowly shifting from 'we want jack of all trades' to 'we want a .net developer'. Government is now using remita to transfer all funds. Buhari was there with Zuckerbarg when he came. All schools have embraced portals and students are seeing how technology simplifies things...students that will become leaders tomorrow.

Just give this profession 5 years, I say!!!

All the veterans here, am sure started when things were even much harder! Today, i can buy 10gb data for 2k while 3 years ago, 8500 couldnt get me 5.5gb. Today there are so many articles online BEGGING me to become a programmer while 3 years ago, it wasnt so. Today, i have companies harrassing me to come and work for them (no joke!), while am sure years back, there were very very few tech companies in the first place.

Just give this profession 5 years!!!

In 2021, everyone who peseveres in this huge market will be smiling.

You are a great man.

idu1:
You are a great man.

thanks, bro

Nice Post [/color][color=#000099][color=#000099][/color]

Larisoft: you said it all, tech hasn't been fully embraced by our society, specifically the sponsors or investors(rich men so to speak), an average person gets funding for an average idea and voila, millions are coming back. While some smart folks in naija with average ideas as well are looked down upon and the idea is suffocated. I wished to learn pogranming b4 I was admitted to study elect/elect BT no1 supported, but after 6 years, here I am trying to do it on my own. Our society needs to b aware of the greater importance of ICT that's all and greater minds will come out from this country.