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Microsoft, the big American tech company, has shut down its Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Lagos, Nigeria, and let go of all its workers there.
The ADC was part of Microsoft’s big plan in Africa to make local solutions that could be used worldwide.
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It was also supposed to create jobs and encourage new technology on the continent.
The reasons for closing the Lagos facility and letting go of the workers are not clear yet.
The ADC started in May 2019 with the aim of making new technologies, like artificial intelligence and mixed reality, not just for Africa but for the whole world. They said it would invest $100 million in the centre over five years.
The Lagos facility officially opened on March 21, 2022. the company wanted it to have teams working on products, helping the tech ecosystem grow, and boosting innovation through the Microsoft Garage.
The company hoped that by investing in the ADC, it could use the talent in Africa to make solutions that could be used everywhere. They had a similar centre in Kenya, too.
But the sudden closure of the Lagos ADC and laying off its workers show the difficulties big tech companies face in Africa. Microsoft hasn’t said anything official about it yet.
