Nigerian fintech giant Moniepoint Inc. has kicked off an intensive training programme for 20 engineering graduates selected from over 9,000 applicants, in a strategic effort to tackle Africa’s growing shortage of industry-ready tech talent.
The initiative, known as DreamDevs, is a nine-week bootcamp designed to fast-track participants into professional software engineering roles, with top performers set to secure internships and potential full-time positions within the company.
The highly competitive selection process—featuring online technical assessments and physical coding challenges—underscores both the surge in interest in tech careers and the limited availability of structured, job-ready training opportunities in Nigeria.
Speaking on the initiative, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Felix Ike said the programme is aimed at unlocking Africa’s vast talent potential.
“At Moniepoint, we believe Africa’s tech talent can compete globally if given the right environment,” he said, adding that the goal is to create a direct pathway from training to employment.
Delivered in partnership with Semicolon Africa, the bootcamp blends classroom instruction with hands-on experience in building real-world financial systems. Participants will receive training in programming fundamentals, data structures, backend engineering, and cloud infrastructure, while working in production-level environments.
The move reflects a broader shift among African fintech firms to build internal talent pipelines, as demand for skilled developers continues to outstrip supply across the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
It also aligns with national efforts such as Nigeria’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, which aims to scale up the country’s digital workforce and support long-term economic growth.
Moniepoint noted that investing in human capital remains central to its growth strategy, as competition for skilled engineers intensifies globally.
Industry observers say initiatives like DreamDevs could play a crucial role in closing the gap between academic learning and workplace demands—particularly in fintech, where system scalability, reliability, and innovation are critical.
For participants, the programme offers a rare opportunity to gain real-world experience. “I want to build systems that scale and solve real problems,” one trainee said, reflecting the ambition driving Nigeria’s next generation of tech professionals.
