Moniepoint Struggles to Fill 500 Roles as CEO Blames Talent Gap, ‘Japa’ Trend

Tosin Eniolorunda, chief executive officer of Moniepoint, says the company is struggling to fill about 500 job vacancies due to a shortage of qualified talent in Nigeria.

Speaking at The Platform in Lagos, Eniolorunda explained that the firm had made a deliberate shift to focus entirely on hiring Nigerian talent but has been unable to find candidates who meet its global standards.

“We made a decision that we will no longer hire from any other place than Nigeria. If you go to Moniepoint career website, we have maybe 500 vacancies and we are struggling to find people to fill those roles,” he said.

“Not only could we not find people at the quality and the quantity we needed, the few people that we found were not up to the global standards that we need.”

He noted that Moniepoint operates in a highly competitive global market, including competition with firms from China, making it essential to recruit world-class talent.

“We are not competing with just local players… I’m competing globally. I need to make sure that I have world-class people working in the organisation,” he added.

Eniolorunda linked the talent shortage to structural issues in Nigeria’s education system and shifting societal values among young people.

“I used to feel like Nigerians are really, really bright, but I’m beginning to feel like we need to do something,” he said.

“I blame our education system and I’m realising that environment shapes a lot of things—from what we consume on social media to the values shaping society.”

He also raised concerns about the growing influence of internet fraud and the “get-rich-quick” culture, which he believes is affecting the aspirations of many young Nigerians.

“The level that people are reasoning in this country is not as high as it used to be,” he said.

The CEO further identified the continued migration of skilled professionals—commonly referred to as “japa”—as a major factor worsening the talent gap.

“In a country of over 200 million people, there are many alternatives to becoming a ‘big boy’ or chasing quick money,” he said.

“All we need to do is develop our human capital and change the mentality.”

Eniolorunda stressed the need for stronger investment in human capital development and the promotion of positive role models to guide young people toward sustainable and productive career paths.