In the last century, there was a scramble for Africa. That scramble was in fact the precursor to the division and occupation of African states with the aim of making them annexes or subjects of their conqueror.
While the methodology of this partitioning and the eventual leadership style has been heavily criticized over the years, it is not dissimilar to how African states took possession of both the territories and people of their weaker neighbours.
The principle of the exploiting one’s economic advantage over another to optimize or maximize profit is a fundamental precept that guides successful global conglomerates. This is also one of the reasons outsourcing has become a crucial component of business operations. But where should organizations look to when choosing the ideal outsourcing destination?
It used to be that the Philippines and perhaps China were the most sought after nations where companies would offshore their back-office operations to. But that was before African governments and indeed astute entrepreneurs in the region began to pay significant attention to the overwhelming advantages that Africa has over other continents in the world.
Where else comes to mind when one speaks of Africa than Nigeria? The population speaks for itself: the people are so many that clusters of brilliance abound. Its strategic position on the continent also means that its distance from developed economies is not an insurmountable obstacle, making it easy for business associates in Nigeria and the US to have engaging conversations without undue disruption to operations.
Why Nigeria, when companies think of outsourcing? We’ll tell you three things that make Nigeria the perfect outsourcing destination in Africa.
Nigeria is home to over 200 million Africans, making up over 35% of Africans in the diaspora. The teeming population of the country conatins well travelled people, and they bring back the language, culture and mannerisms of their host countries when they come back to Nigeria. The nation thus has an abundance of youth who are able to speak international languages exactly as natives of those places would. This makes communication effortless.
Nigeria’s time is GMT+1 — same as the UK, 5 hours ahead of Washington and 8 hours ahead of Japan. What this means for businesses considering the perfect outsourcing destination is that Nigeria’s time zone is perfectly suited for business transactions across the globe.
100 million plus Nigerians are economically engaged. These numbers mean that the country has an abundance of eager employees ready to work. Compared to other countries with a significantly reduced youth population, it makes outsourcing operations relatively less expensive. Companies can thus get the best value at 40% – 50% lower costs, thus increasing their savings and freeing up capital for business expansion.
Africa’s story has metamorphosed – it is not to be exploited with subservient businesses. Africa has significantly invested in communicating its significant value proposition to Europe, rewriting history as a place once conquered to a continent now valued. And Nigeria is leading the charge.
