Microsoft Corporation has opened a $100 million African Development Centre (ADC) in Lagos, coming nearly three decades after the tech giant opened its first offices in Africa, yet a great fillip for Nigeria’s digital economy drive.
Microsoft has witnessed growth on the continent with more internet connectivity, more digital capability, and more innovation, Joy Chik, Corporate Vice President for the Identity Division in Microsoft’s Cloud + AI group, said at the opening.
Africans have expanded the applications of technology, changing the way communities bank, farm and even access healthcare, she added.
Her words: “At Microsoft, we’re very fortunate to have played a part in realising this potential, building strong partnerships to accelerate digital transformation and create sustained societal impact.
“A big milestone for this investment came earlier this year, as we opened Africa’s first hyper-scale datacentres in South Africa, promoting business innovation in the cloud.
“As the next step on our journey in Africa, and to better understand a continent rapidly adopting technology in the cloud, and at the edge, Microsoft today launched its Africa Development Centre (ADC) for West Africa located in Nigeria.
“With two initial sites in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria, the ADC will serve as a premier centre of engineering for Microsoft, where world-class African talent can create solutions for local and global impact.”
Recruiting engineering talent
Microsoft Corporate Vice President Michael Fortin had explained at the launch of the centre in May 2019 that the aim is to recruit exceptional engineering talent to work on the latest technologies suitable for Kenya, Nigeria, and the rest of the world.
Engineers are able to enjoy meaningful work from their home countries while plugged into a global engineering and development organisation, he stressed, according to Nairametrics reporting.
This is the seventh Microsoft centre worldwide and is expected to recruit world-class African engineering talent to develop innovative solutions that span the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge.
Microsoft is seeking in the ADC engineering talent in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and mixed reality.
Greater Microsoft presence in Africa will empower partners and customers as they use its solutions in fields important to the continent like FinTech, AgriTech, and OffGrid energy.
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Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
