₦airaland Forum

MindHacker9009:
Is Nairaland you have posted on and their spam bot not innovations?

MindHacker9009:
Did you open this thread just to comprehend or just opened it without comprehending?

If Nairaland is not innovation to you, then show us your own innovation.

steeltrust:
I’ve been observing the tech scene in Nigeria and Africa for a while, and I can’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of real innovation. Don’t get me wrong—there are a few brilliant minds doing amazing things, but the majority? It’s just copy-paste, especially in fintech. Everywhere you look, it’s another crypto app, payment solution, or digital bank.

Now, AI is the next big thing, and instead of challenging themselves to build something groundbreaking, many are just replicating what’s already out there—and often poorly. Some even use these copied ideas just to raise investor funds, knowing the projects will crash because there’s no real innovation behind them.

Look at the West. Most of the world’s biggest innovations came from people solving real problems. Uber’s founder didn’t own cars but created the largest ride-hailing service. Coursera’s founders didn’t have a physical school but built the biggest e-learning platform. Canva’s designer didn’t chase clients—she made a tool that millions now use daily. Even OpenAI integrated it into their system.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria/Africa, many developers just learn to code and wait for foreign clients to pay them. Why not use those skills to solve our own problems? We have endless issues in edtech, logistics, agriculture, e-commerce, healthcare—yet the few unicorns we celebrate are almost all fintech (Opay, Moniepoint, etc.).

Yes, our government is terrible, but are we also not part of the problem? If we keep chasing trends without original thinking, how will we ever build a robust tech ecosystem that creates jobs and grows the economy?

What do you think? Am I being too harsh, or is it time for African developers to step up their game?

steeltrust:
I’ve been observing the tech scene in Nigeria and Africa for a while, and I can’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of real innovation. Don’t get me wrong—there are a few brilliant minds doing amazing things, but the majority? It’s just copy-paste, especially in fintech. Everywhere you look, it’s another crypto app, payment solution, or digital bank.

Now, AI is the next big thing, and instead of challenging themselves to build something groundbreaking, many are just replicating what’s already out there—and often poorly. Some even use these copied ideas just to raise investor funds, knowing the projects will crash because there’s no real innovation behind them.

Look at the West. Most of the world’s biggest innovations came from people solving real problems. Uber’s founder didn’t own cars but created the largest ride-hailing service. Coursera’s founders didn’t have a physical school but built the biggest e-learning platform. Canva’s designer didn’t chase clients—she made a tool that millions now use daily. Even OpenAI integrated it into their system.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria/Africa, many developers just learn to code and wait for foreign clients to pay them. Why not use those skills to solve our own problems? We have endless issues in edtech, logistics, agriculture, e-commerce, healthcare—yet the few unicorns we celebrate are almost all fintech (Opay, Moniepoint, etc.).

Yes, our government is terrible, but are we also not part of the problem? If we keep chasing trends without original thinking, how will we ever build a robust tech ecosystem that creates jobs and grows the economy?

What do you think? Am I being too harsh, or is it time for African developers to step up their game?

algomachine:
Seems like you’re new to tech, but I digress.

Firstly, all tools you use were built by the whiteman, whatever programming language, infrastructure, cloud providers just name it were built by them. Some build it for free hence the term Opensource and this is literally impossible to do in Africa (tell me a free service, I’m waiting), poverty would finish your life if you try this when there’s no food stamp or help from government.

Secondly, there’s no market for innovation in Nigeria. Build the best app and watch your company soak in depth (Aws, hosting, salary etc).

Thirdly, you’re a bloody Third world country for a reason. Have you ever integrated NIPSS api that has numerous downtime? Have you been to remote areas outside towns to see that they can’t make phone calls let alone browse? Or you think that’s not Nigeria?

Fourthly, the brilliant minds won’t wanna stay in Nigeria with you. They wanna build a name outside, become citizens there then maybe come back once in a while. This is brain drain (they know they’re finished staying in Nigeria for 500k jobs)

Lastly, there are tons of ideas that would never make it in a third world country. I wanted to replicate FHIR api for healthcare centers but in Nigeria, this api would ensure that doctors have all patient data and health history in a centralized repository, but how do you think such an innovation would fly in Nigeria where most hospitals or primary healthcare centers don’t have electricity.

Let me stop here cos when you guys ask questions, it just makes me laugh

Alphabyte3:
Remember those new startups in Nigeria 10 years ago with venture capital funding they are nowhere to be found.

algomachine:
That’s exactly the point, no matter how good your product is, if it’s a poor corrupt country with limited infrastructure, it won’t sell. The companies making it here have excess funds gotten from the first world countries like Bolt, Spotify, Uber, Google, Facebook etc

How many people do you know personally that earn 2million, that money is just $1200. You need luxury to be able to afford tech subscriptions, most folks in Nigeria don’t even earn 200k, it’s a poor, relatively undeveloped/uneducated corrupt nation even with crude oil.

algomachine:
Seems like you’re new to tech, but I digress.

Firstly, all tools you use were built by the whiteman, whatever programming language, infrastructure, cloud providers just name it were built by them. Some build it for free hence the term Opensource and this is literally impossible to do in Africa (tell me a free service, I’m waiting), poverty would finish your life if you try this when there’s no food stamp or help from government.

Secondly, there’s no market for innovation in Nigeria. Build the best app and watch your company soak in depth (Aws, hosting, salary etc).

Thirdly, you’re a bloody Third world country for a reason. Have you ever integrated NIPSS api that has numerous downtime? Have you been to remote areas outside towns to see that they can’t make phone calls let alone browse? Or you think that’s not Nigeria?

Fourthly, the brilliant minds won’t wanna stay in Nigeria with you. They wanna build a name outside, become citizens there then maybe come back once in a while. This is brain drain (they know they’re finished staying in Nigeria for 500k jobs)

Lastly, there are tons of ideas that would never make it in a third world country. I wanted to replicate FHIR api for healthcare centers but in Nigeria, this api would ensure that doctors have all patient data and health history in a centralized repository, but how do you think such an innovation would fly in Nigeria where most hospitals or primary healthcare centers don’t have electricity.

Let me stop here cos when you guys ask questions, it just makes me laugh

steeltrust:
bro I’m not new to tech and I’m currently in the US
I am not a coder or programmer but I love innovation and I’m currently working on one in the edtech space. I’ve got 3000 pre sign which validate it demand. My question in as much on everything you stated, we still developers who re doing well, like those who are currently working with foreign client and get paid in hard currency. Can’t they come together and out in resources together and build an ecosystem to scale different ideas?. Elon and his pals that created PayPal are all programmers who came together and put resource together to fund it and today they’re all doing well, elon is an example. Bro we can do it and it not had

steeltrust:
bro I’m not new to tech and I’m currently in the US
I am not a coder or programmer but I love innovation and I’m currently working on one in the edtech space. I’ve got 3000 pre sign which validate it demand. My question in as much on everything you stated, we still developers who re doing well, like those who are currently working with foreign client and get paid in hard currency. Can’t they come together and out in resources together and build an ecosystem to scale different ideas?. Elon and his pals that created PayPal are all programmers who came together and put resource together to fund it and today they’re all doing well, elon is an example. Bro we can do it and it not had

steeltrust:
I’ve been observing the tech scene in Nigeria and Africa for a while, and I can’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of real innovation. Don’t get me wrong—there are a few brilliant minds doing amazing things, but the majority? It’s just copy-paste, especially in fintech. Everywhere you look, it’s another crypto app, payment solution, or digital bank.

Now, AI is the next big thing, and instead of challenging themselves to build something groundbreaking, many are just replicating what’s already out there—and often poorly. Some even use these copied ideas just to raise investor funds, knowing the projects will crash because there’s no real innovation behind them.

Look at the West. Most of the world’s biggest innovations came from people solving real problems. Uber’s founder didn’t own cars but created the largest ride-hailing service. Coursera’s founders didn’t have a physical school but built the biggest e-learning platform. Canva’s designer didn’t chase clients—she made a tool that millions now use daily. Even OpenAI integrated it into their system.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria/Africa, many developers just learn to code and wait for foreign clients to pay them. Why not use those skills to solve our own problems? We have endless issues in edtech, logistics, agriculture, e-commerce, healthcare—yet the few unicorns we celebrate are almost all fintech (Opay, Moniepoint, etc.).

Yes, our government is terrible, but are we also not part of the problem? If we keep chasing trends without original thinking, how will we ever build a robust tech ecosystem that creates jobs and grows the economy?

What do you think? Am I being too harsh, or is it time for African developers to step up their game?

tanigororo:
I guess you are having Akatalarization Disorder, Nigeria developers are solving problems that are peculiar to their environment not some trendy fancy solutions that has no market. Those fintech solutions you are criticizing solves a lot of fundamental problems that major financial institutions refuses to solve because it's too small for them.
Those ML you are talking about is not yet solving problems for small businesses in Nigeria, invariably not a mass market for everybody.

steeltrust:
please throw words at me
Just reply one unicorn outside fintech in Nigeria or africa as a whole

tanigororo:
I won't measure the industry by the number of the unicorn it produces, I will judge it by how far it has come despite all odds.
This is a country where you have more reason to fail than succeed, yet you are not expected to fail.
To begin with how long have you been into programming or the IT line?

steeltrust:
I’m not into IT or programming but I’m working on an edtech startup and bootstrapping all by my self with a few team.

steeltrust:
I’m not into IT or programming but I’m working on an edtech startup and bootstrapping all by my self with a few team.

steeltrust:
I’m not into IT or programming but I’m working on an edtech startup and bootstrapping all by my self with a few team.

steeltrust:
I’ve been observing the tech scene in Nigeria and Africa for a while, and I can’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of real innovation. Don’t get me wrong—there are a few brilliant minds doing amazing things, but the majority? It’s just copy-paste, especially in fintech. Everywhere you look, it’s another crypto app, payment solution, or digital bank.

Now, AI is the next big thing, and instead of challenging themselves to build something groundbreaking, many are just replicating what’s already out there—and often poorly. Some even use these copied ideas just to raise investor funds, knowing the projects will crash because there’s no real innovation behind them.

Look at the West. Most of the world’s biggest innovations came from people solving real problems. Uber’s founder didn’t own cars but created the largest ride-hailing service. Coursera’s founders didn’t have a physical school but built the biggest e-learning platform. Canva’s designer didn’t chase clients—she made a tool that millions now use daily. Even OpenAI integrated it into their system.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria/Africa, many developers just learn to code and wait for foreign clients to pay them. Why not use those skills to solve our own problems? We have endless issues in edtech, logistics, agriculture, e-commerce, healthcare—yet the few unicorns we celebrate are almost all fintech (Opay, Moniepoint, etc.).

Yes, our government is terrible, but are we also not part of the problem? If we keep chasing trends without original thinking, how will we ever build a robust tech ecosystem that creates jobs and grows the economy?

What do you think? Am I being too harsh, or is it time for African developers to step up their game?