Remote work can reduce unemployment, say experts

 

Technology experts have stated that remote work has the potential to reduce unemployment in the country.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of Alluvium, Taiwo Ojo, remote work will not only create employment opportunities but will also unlock the potential of the African continent.

He added that Nigeria could break into a large technological market by adapting and adopting cloud-centric architecture.

The Alluvium boss spoke at the 2023 Cloud Connect, a technological/ICT summit organised by the firm in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, recently.

He said, “Cloud Connect serves as a clarion call for Africa to bridge the technological gap and harness its vast potential through digital transformation and cloud adoption across various sectors.”

He added that companies, employees, and governments alike in Africa, including Nigeria would benefit immensely because of the high youth population.

Ojo continued, “The remote work market, we believe is $50bn. What that means is that there are people who can be here in Ekiti today and working for companies around the world and earning dollars here in Ekiti.”

He harped on the need to train people for the required digital skills for the jobs.

He explained that his firm sponsored and supported local charities and local trainers, who go to secondary schools and train young people on how to programme and have digital skills that will make them globally competitive.

He noted, “With that, we are building into the future a large pool of remote workers, a large pool of knowledge and talents and skill needed globally. We train young people with skills that are needed today and help to connect them to opportunities abroad to work. We also have a number of young people who we have connected to opportunities in companies around the world.”

Alluvium co-CEO, Mr Wale Olojo, stressed the urgency for African countries to emulate tech trailblazers like India and China, leveraging their human resources for economic growth.

Olojo urged both local and international companies “to trust and engage with startups like Alluvium, emphasising the importance of job creation and sustainable practices”.

“Our joint venture aims to steer current and future generations away from cybercrime. We aspire to harness the talents and skills within our society to innovate and confront Africa’s economic challenges head-on.”

Speakers at the summit stressed that Africa’s embrace of cloud technology was non-negotiable as individuals, businesses, and governments must adapt, adopt cloud-centric architecture, revamp educational curricula, and align with 21st-century realities.

An expert, Samuel Kojo Acheampong of Onpoint, said, “Digital transformation through cloud services is the cornerstone of Africa’s exponential growth. We are poised to revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, urbanisation, education, infrastructure, healthcare, climate change, natural resources, art, and tourism.”