Microsoft has opened its first Africa development center in Lagos, Nigeria; two and a half years after its first annunciation.
According to information acquired by Business Insider Africa, the initiative cost the tech giant over $100 million to put together.
Meanwhile, a new Microsoft African development center is set to open shortly in Kenya.
Microsoft finally opened its much-anticipated Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Lagos, Nigeria on Monday, March 21st, 2022.
The IT firm is said to have spent a total of $100 million on the project. The center’s goal is to make it easier to develop technological solutions that will address both African and global issues.
The Africa Development Centre, located in King Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos, will house Microsoft teams working on product engineering, ecosystem development, innovation, and the Microsoft Garage.
“Our goal is to find excellent engineering talent throughout the continent who can create cutting-edge solutions with a global effect.
Engineers would be able to undertake important work from their home nations while simultaneously being connected to a global engineering and development organization “According to a previous statement obtained by Business Insider Africa, Microsoft claimed.
Isa Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, formally opened the facility in the presence of several dignitaries, including Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency.
Mr. Pantami believes that Google’s choice to put one of its development centers in Nigeria demonstrates the country’s importance as Africa’s key digital hub. He went on to say that the Microsoft development center will help Nigeria’s digital economy flourish even further.
The international technology giant first announced the Africa development center in Nairobi and Lagos in May of this year. So far, the Lagos facility is Africa’s first centre.
It is also intended to help the continent’s technological growth.
