Anyone with a following on social media in many parts of Africa knows this scene well. At least, once a quarter, a stranger slides into your DMs asking for help: school fees, a hospital bill, rent. It’s become so routine that most have learned to scroll past.
Recently, I posted an Instagram story advertising an open sales role at my company. Nearly 500 people viewed it. Two reached out. One submitted a CV. I sat with that for a while. Because among those ~500 viewers, I know there are people struggling to find work. Some of them have probably sent me a message asking for a handout. And yet, when a real opportunity appeared in front of them, most of them kept scrolling.
This isn’t a story about laziness. It’s a story about a deeper, more uncomfortable gap; one that skills assessments don’t capture and labour market reports rarely mention. I call it the attitude gap: the widening disconnect between the opportunities that exist and the willingness to develop the character, humility, and work ethic required to seize them.
When Moniepoint CEO Tosin Eniolorunda recently said that his company, after committing to hire only in Nigeria in 2024, was struggling to fill 500 vacancies by 2025, the Nigerian tech ecosystem erupted. The outrage was understandable. But having lived a version of this frustration firsthand, I also understood what he was pointing at, even if the framing needed more context.
