₦airaland Forum

Gagare1:
Like I said, security reasons. Any Nigerian CEO earning that much, and knowing that much, is certainly a future competitor to the same business he is managing. The day he retires is the day your worst competitor is born. And the sick part about everything is that he knows you to the core. We have wealthy individuals looking for a trust worthy person to do business with, so if a Nigerian should have access to the vast knowledge, secrets connections, and be willing to pull the Nigerian strings to set up a competition, he will deal his former employer a fatal blow. So it is best to not take chances. Expensive as it may be, the expatriates are a lesser threat.

Not to mention the unofficial wickedness of black man to black man, which can bring down an organization faster than an explosive demolition.

So it is a security issue.

Cmeo:
As a business owner in Nigeria, I concur with what that young man said

Hamachi:
i noticed a consistent behavioural pattern among Nigerian billionaires who run big businesses.

This behaviour is pronounced more among Mike Adenuga of Glo Brand and Aliko Dangote.

The behaviour is this: these business owners hardly hire Nigerians as business executives to run their businesses.

They prefer to travel as far as Pakistan, India, or Lebanon to hire their nationals to come to Nigeria to run their business.

Dangote's top executives are mainly from India and then Lebanese, while Mike prefers hiring Pakistan nationals to run Glo for him with his daughter Bella.

Dangote started hiring indians business executives when he was a trader and since he transitioned into an industrialist, he has not looked back as he has doubled down in hiring them.

Hiring these guys comes at a steep price.

Most Dangote Group executives are Lebanese or Indian, and their annual salaries are up to 300 million naira per annum when converted to our local currency.

Aside from the high cost that they charge as salaries, you provide a duplex accommodation in Ikoyi or Banana Island with an SUV for them.

You also provide Hilux vehicle with policemen protecting them against kidnappers since they are endangered specie because of their white complexion.

Devakumar V. G. Edwin is one of Dangote's trusted lieutenants, as Aliko does not joke with him.

He has been with him since 1992, when he joined the business as a general manager.

At that time, Dangote was still a mega importer and a trader.

Edwin helped to transition the Dangote group into the industrial behomth that it is today from a trading company.

He is the one supervising the refinary project in Lekki for Dangote as Dangote trusted him so much, having supervised the building of the cement plants for the group all over Africa.

When you convert what Devakumar V. G. Edwin earns into Naira because he is paid in dollars by the Dangote group, the man earns more than 350 million naira salary per year.

Just like the rest of Dangote's top executives, he is an Indian national, and it is the same story across the whole gamut of Dangote's executives. .

The CEO Of Dangote sugar, RAVINDRA SINGH is an Indian national.

The same with the CEO of Dangote Cement.

Now i want to understand:

why, despite the high cost of hiring them, are these Forbes billionaires more comfortable hiring Pakistanis, indians, or Lebanese than Nigerians to manage their businesses in Nigeria?

Are they more ruthlessly efficient than their Nigerian business executives?

Is there any reason why this is so?

Nwaikpe:
They are supposed to splash their billions on their employee,
Right?

SpencerForbes:
The educational system, parents, and the government have all failed us. Instead of castigating the youth, he should focus on improving the small circle he can actually influence. It wasn't a crime to be born into a dysfunctional system.

The Nigerian economy is so warped that a qualified engineer would gladly drop their certificate to go and shout "tap tap" on TikTok if it brings in $5,000—mostly because I’m sure he isn’t even paying up to 500k a month himself. It’s not a lack of intelligence; it’s a survival instinct for people trying to fight a broken system. If he can't offer a real solution, he should just remain silent.

casualobserver:
What is standard global wage? There is no such thing. If you feel as an engineering graduate in Nigeria you are entitled to the same £40,000 a Uk graduate earns, why don’t you apply for the UK job? Trust me if you were qualified they will employ you. Wages will always be a reflection of local environment plus the particular skill. What should be constant irrespective of where you are is the quality of the certificate that says you are qualified. That’s the problem! Your Nigerian certificate says you are educated in a particular course but when you are put to test, you fall short of basic standards.

In Mexico a qualified doctor fresh from medical school earns $7,000-12,000, just next door in the US he will earn $72-92,000, in Canada he will earn $43-54K. There will no difference in the standard of the American or Mexican doctor. That’s the problem with NIgeiran graduates…the quality!

I am telling you in Nigeria, there are graduates who earn upwards of N2m a month, I know of graduates in Nigeria on $100,000 pa.a and there are those who earn N70k a month minimum wage. Those well paid did not go Nigerian universities.

Nigeria has a large unemployed youth population, we are an English speaking country. Ordinarily we should be a node for call center farms. Many firms explored the idea, you know why it didn’t happen? Our basic English and IQ is actually very poor. We speak but lack comprehension and we can’t solve problems or reason logically, which is where the IQ part comes in.


I have said It many times on Nairaland about English comprehension and IQ. Most discussions on this site boil down to the absence of both. Search “casualobserver + IQ” you will get hundreds of posts. The main issue is Nigeria is comprehension and IQ. Now your employers are telling you.

Oyindamolah:
But saying “they should have invited me first” assumes companies hire based only on years of experience and that’s not always how recruitment works. Sometimes it’s your CV formatting, keywords, certifications, how your experience is presented, or even internal hiring preferences.

And to be fair, applying three times and getting the same response might be a sign to review the application strategy rather than conclude they’re sleeping.

Rutherinspace:
Very brilliant of you. It's evident that you are exposed internationally. There's nothing as standard global wage and every top talent get the best jobs. Most times it's those without nothing to offer that that complain so much and they're not willing to learn.
In the US, you have wide income range depending on location. A 120k offer in LA can be 60k in Alabama. Even in the same location, you have to advocate for yourself. I once had an offer where some of my colleagues were making 70% of my income, they were unhappy when they found out and HR told me never to disclose my income to anyone. Any top talent can get a job anywhere in the world. Nigerians need to learn to develop themselves instead of fleeting away their time on social media.

Rutherinspace:
Very brilliant of you. It's evident that you are exposed internationally. There's nothing as standard global wage and every top talent get the best jobs. Most times it's those without nothing to offer that that complain so much and they're not willing to learn.
In the US, you have wide income range depending on location. A 120k offer in LA can be 60k in Alabama. Even in the same location, you have to advocate for yourself. I once had an offer where some of my colleagues were making 70% of my income, they were unhappy when they found out and HR told me never to disclose my income to anyone. Any top talent can get a job anywhere in the world. Nigerians need to learn to develop themselves instead of fleeting away their time on social media.

casualobserver:
I once had a job in the UK where I was earning 2x my boss and she had to sign my time sheets. She started at the company at 16 and worked her way up to manager..no degree etc. her skill and role as manager was easily replaceable, whereas as at the time I got the role, I was one of only 3 people in the Uk with experience on that product. I was fortunate my previous job was the pilot for that product.

By the way, you will hear all these half baked Nigerians saying Monie point is offering n200k a month salary. The picture below says otherwise.

We have normalized mediocrity in Nigeria and that’s the biggest hindrance to our development going forward. We have a population of 100m that are to all intents and purpose useless in a modern economy. If Nigeria is to move forward from here the job vacancies will be filled by foreigners.

SpencerForbes:
Why didn’t you also research the requirements to be employed?

Clearly moniepoint employs only 20 developers or important positions annually and he’s expecting them to fill 500 positions in 2 years 🤷‍♂️ The rest are just people he’s expecting to share flyers by the roadside.

casualobserver:
I don’t need to research anything because the problem is not unique to Moniepoint. Dangote said the same thing. I experience the same thing every day in Nigeria.

If you really are an educated and intelligent person. Do you really think it is rational to expect that a country that has neglected it state education system for over 4 decades can produce quality products? Is is really a surprise that employers are saying we can knit work with these people you are churning out! That’s what we are talking about! Please answer!

SpencerForbes:
China and America have formal schools, but the real magic happens in the boot camps, summer training programs, and research centers funded by private individuals. Every year, private citizens organize science fairs where students actually win big. You think all that is just the government?

If the Moniepoint CEO decided to start a data boot camp for brilliant high schoolers or an intensive internship for graduates, would that really be his downfall? How much would it even cost him compared to what he makes?

Do people really think Nigerians are so slow that you’d teach a hundred students a skill and they’d all fail? If that were true, why are our people bagging first-class degrees the moment they step foot outside this country?

In developed nations, the system allows you to learn and work while schooling. Why can't the "big men" here set up that same structure instead of just complaining?

casualobserver:
I asked you a simple question you have not answered. instead your response is typical of why employers struggle with our graduates.


I just saw a post somewhere, the employer was saying a Nigerian graduate, you will have to handhold them and correct them 15 times for a simple task and they will still not deliver what you want.

Again I asked the question, is it rational aand intelligent to expect a rotten system to produce good results? Is it a surprise that employers are rejecting them?

Why are graduates bank tellers in banks? In my day it can never happen. Bank tellers were jobs for people with “o” levels. That alone should tell you something.

Again answer the question! Then I will read your post.

SpencerForbes:
If an apple is rotten, you change it! It’s that simple.

If you're claiming the system can't provide top-notch talent, then take the initiative. Create a boot camp for 100 people and give them the tools to succeed. If they still fail after you've provided everything, then nobody will blame you or call you out again.

When the system is broken and you actually have the capacity to make a difference, you should fix what you can. That would be the greatest gift he could ever offer the Nigerian youth, rather than just devaluing us on a global stage.

Just imagine if all our leaders were to join hands to create a joint data boot camp and imagine the brainpower we can produce in a year? Everything isn’t about the government.

Oyindamolah:
If an intern becomes valuable enough to leave after learning from you, that doesn’t automatically mean the investment was wasted. it means you helped build talent. The bigger question is: why do people feel the need to leave so quickly?

In many cases, people leave because of poor pay, no growth path, toxic work culture, or feeling undervalued. And if someone is threatening you after gaining experience, that’s a separate character issue not a reason to stop developing people entirely.

Also, bonding employees for years can backfire. Most talented people won’t agree to being tied down unless there’s a strong incentive attached (sponsorship, certifications, relocation support, etc.). Even then, forcing retention rarely builds loyalty.

I think this approach is better:
- Hire people with good character and willingness to learn
- Create clear expectations from day one
- Pay fairly as they grow
- Build systems so your business doesn’t depend on one person
- Make your workplace good enough that people want to stay

Because the real risk isn’t training people and losing them. It’s refusing to train people and being stuck with mediocre talent forever.

casualobserver:
Answer the question. Your failure to answer the question is what is wrong with Nigerian graduates. Emotional not logical, running away from the issues. A brain that is not programmed to think logically. That’s why people find it difficult working with or engaging you. If you respond without answering the question, I will add you to my block list!

InvertedHammer:
/
Nigerian problem is not purely financial. Pay them N1 million per month and still the output will be dismal and below par. The first few months may be great, then they get comfortable and the Nigerian factors start rearing their ugly heads.

/

Nwaikpe:

The ultimate goal of any business if to make maximum profit for its shareholders.

Na you sabi other theories.
Even your government no give you "improved human well-being," you go dey ask private entities.

Whereas, the "Quality of life Theory" has absolutely nothing directly related with what you said. You just wanted to lie to sound smart. It concerns individuals evaluation of their lives with relation to their personal goals. But you dey here dey cap.

IyaTola:
Nigeria has talent. That is not in doubt.
But talent alone is not enough in a global market.

Recently, the CEO of Moniepoint mentioned they had over 500 open roles they struggled to fill with Nigerians who meet global standards. That statement may sound harsh, but it reflects a reality many recruiters quietly deal with every day.

The jobs exist. The opportunities exist.
But there’s a gap between available talent and job readiness.

Let’s be honest about why.

Yes, our education system is struggling. Many graduates leave school without practical, job-ready skills. But beyond that, there are patterns we need to confront ourselves.

Take social media, for example.
Entertainment dominates attention. Comedy, gossip, and viral trends outperform thoughtful, educational content almost every time.

And no—it’s not just “the algorithm.”
The algorithm amplifies what we consistently choose.

When serious conversations struggle to gain traction, while light content spreads rapidly, it reflects a deeper preference. Over time, that preference shapes our thinking, our habits, and ultimately, our competence.

We are living in an era where the internet gives us access to world-class knowledge—for free.
Yet many people spend hours consuming content that adds little to their growth.

That is not just a technology problem.
It is a discipline problem.

But that’s only one side of the story.

Recruiters hiring Nigerians often highlight additional challenges:

- Skill mismatch: Degrees that don’t align with industry needs, especially in tech, finance, and operations.

- Poor communication skills: Difficulty expressing ideas clearly, both in writing and speaking.

- Lack of problem-solving ability: Many candidates struggle with practical thinking beyond theory.

- Inconsistent work ethic: Not necessarily laziness, but lack of structure, focus, and follow-through.

- Entitlement mindset: Expecting high pay or senior roles without demonstrable skills or experience.

- Weak digital literacy: Basic tools like spreadsheets, email etiquette, or documentation are often underdeveloped.

- Poor interview preparation: Candidates showing up without researching the company or role.

- Limited accountability: Blaming external factors without actively improving personal capacity.

These are uncomfortable truths, but ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear.

At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge systemic realities—unemployment pressure, economic instability, and limited access to quality training also play a role. Not everyone starts from the same position.

Still, personal responsibility remains a powerful lever.

So what can you actually do?

1. Be intentional about what you consume.
If your screen time doesn’t challenge you, it is limiting you.

2. Engage with content that stretches your thinking.
The most valuable insights are often not the most popular.

3. Learn how money works.
Financial literacy is no longer optional.

4. Build a practical digital skill.
It doesn’t have to be advanced—start with competence, then grow.

5. Strengthen your communication.
Clear thinking and clear expression will set you apart.

6. Develop consistency and discipline.
Talent without structure rarely scales.

7. Work on your character.
Skills may get you hired, but reliability, attitude, and integrity keep you employed.


There are opportunities out there. Real ones.
But opportunity does not automatically translate to access.

Preparation is the bridge.

The seats may be empty.
The real question is: are you becoming the kind of person who can sit in one?

casualobserver:
I have said it many times.

1: 50% of the products of the Nigerian education system are unemployable even by Nigerian standards.
2: 95% are unemployable in a global standard environment. No multinational will ever employ them.
3: majority of our population growth I.e the so called youth are a burden, a liability rather than an asset. They are unemployable and are only useful as a market for basic commodities.
4: we’ve not realized this because we’ve not had companies invest in Nigeria for a long time.
5: I said a few months ago on Nairaland, renewed interest in Nigeria will expose the fact that the so called youth we youth as an asset are largely unemployable because they are not up to standard.
6: you only have to scroll through Nigerian social media or Nairaland to understand these are poorly educated largely low IQ people.
7. You can’t have an educational system that has been bastardized and neglected for decades and expect it can produced anything other than substandard products.

Burshh:
SPOT ON !!!

Yoighaman:
Who made the billions for them? Goats?

obiekunie01:
Dont mind them with these their defensive yarn.
FACT IS, EVERY EMPLOYER IN NIGERIA TODAY KNOWS THAT NIGERIAN YOUTHS OF THESE GENERATION ARE SO DISAPOINTING. TOO LAZY AND YET EXPECT YOUR TO PAY THEM HUGE FOR CONTRIBUTING FAR LESS TO THE GROWTH OF THE ORGANISATION.

Terrible work ethics. veery terrible and dishonest.