Moniepoint Inc., a digital financial services provider, has opened applications for the second cohort of its flagship DreamDevs initiative, aimed at strengthening Africa’s technology talent pipeline.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Moniepoint’s Chief Technology Officer, Felix Ike. The programme targets recent graduates across Nigeria and is designed to equip young professionals with industry-ready skills and real-world experience.
The company said the initiative comes amid growing concerns about the tech talent gap in Nigeria and across the continent, as demand for skilled software engineers continues to rise.
National talent search
According to Ike, DreamDevs is structured as a national talent search for high-potential software engineers, with only 20 candidates selected annually into an intensive nine-week boot camp.
- Outstanding participants from the programme are expected to progress into six-month internship placements at Moniepoint, with the possibility of full-time employment based on performance.
- He disclosed that the maiden cohort of the programme produced four hires, including three interns and one full-time engineer, highlighting its effectiveness as a talent development pipeline.
“The initiative targets graduates of technology, computer science, engineering and related disciplines with foundational knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript,” Ike said.
“Participants will undergo hands-on training delivered by senior software engineers, covering the core technical and professional skills required to thrive in the global tech ecosystem.”
Moniepoint’s talent strategy
Ike noted that the outcome of the first cohort reinforced Moniepoint’s confidence in Africa’s young tech talent and informed the company’s decision to scale its commitment this year.
“The results from our first cohort validated our belief that with the right training and support, Africa’s young tech talent can compete globally,” he said. “This year, we are doubling down on our commitment by aiming to convert half of our participants into full-time employees.”
He added that DreamDevs aligns with Moniepoint’s broader mission of using technology to power the dreams of millions while promoting financial inclusion across Africa.
- The programme also complements Moniepoint’s other talent development initiatives, including HatchDev, a collaboration with NITHub at the University of Lagos, which produces about 500 specialised developers annually.
- It also builds on the company’s Women-in-Tech programme, now in its fifth year, and supports the Federal Government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, for which Moniepoint is a key sponsor.
Nigeria’s tech ecosystem continues to grapple with a widening skills gap, even as fintechs and other digital businesses expand rapidly. Programmes like DreamDevs highlight the increasing role of private sector players in talent development, job creation, and skills transfer.
A beneficiary of the first cohort, Victor Adepoju, now a backend engineer at Moniepoint, described the programme as impactful, citing its structure and depth. He said the training provided a strong foundation, particularly in cloud technologies such as Google Cloud Platform.
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