Microsoft Has Just Confirmed Mass Layoffs in Nigeria, It Now Adds Insult to Injury With Price Hikes for Locals
This morning: Amid Microsoft Layoffs in Nigeria GNU/Linux Climbs Above 6% Market Share (Not Including ChromeOS)
This afternoon:
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Microsoft Shuts Down Nigeria’s Africa Dev’t Centre, Sacks Workers
The ADC was part of Microsoft’s ambitious initiative in Africa, focused on developing local solutions with global impact while creating employment opportunities and fostering technological innovation on the continent.
According to a report, the reasons for the layoffs and the shutdown of the Lagos facility remained unclear at this point.
The ADC, established in May 2019, aimed to create innovative technologies not just for Africa but for the entire world. At the time of its establishment, Microsoft called for talented engineers to work on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mixed reality. The company had also pledged to invest $100 million into the centre during its first five years of operation.
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Microsoft Denies Closure Of Lagos Office – Confirms Layoffs
Microsoft’s African Development Center (ADC) in Lagos, Nigeria, has been in the news lately, with reports claiming that the company has shut down the centre.
Gatekeepers News reports that a Microsoft Spokesperson has clarified that the Lagos facility is still operational, despite the engineering team being let go.
The company has been undertaking workforce adjustments and organizational changes since 2023, as part of its efforts to align with global market conditions and meet customer needs.
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Microsoft raises subscription cost in Nigeria amid job cuts
Microsoft is laying off staff from its African Development Centre in Nigeria. This comes after the company recently raised subscription prices for at least one of its Microsoft 365 services in the country.
The ADC, launched in 2019, was opened in Nigeria in 2022. At the launch in Nigeria in 2022, Gafar Lawal, the ADC’s West African managing director, disclosed that Microsoft has spent about $200 million on the ADC since 2019.
“The facility will continue our efforts towards training, equipping, and hiring engineering talent in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole to contribute to the development of Microsoft products that are in use by over one billion devices and empowering millions of users and organisations across the world to do more,” said Lawal.
It's not like Microsoft paid them good salaries. Things must be dire. Microsoft is trying to downplay this.