In a surprising turn of events, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced plans to reduce its office space in Lagos, Nigeria. This decision comes in the wake of a series of layoffs that affected its Nigerian team in mid-2023.
The layoffs, which reportedly affected at least 35 people, including the company’s engineering team of up to 24 employees, have led to a significant reduction in the company’s team size in Nigeria. As a result, Meta has begun renegotiating its tenancy agreement for its office space in the 15-story Kings Tower building in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Meta’s decision to shrink its real estate footprint in Lagos is seen as a strategic move to transition some employees to desk sharing, particularly those who spend little time at work. “As we shrink our real estate footprint, we’re transitioning to desk sharing for people who already spend most of their time outside the office,” Meta said in a statement.
While Meta rejects any characterization of the decision as scaling back, it is a remarkable about-face for a company that has consistently invested in Nigeria and has spoken about prioritizing the West African nation. In March 2024, Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs visited Nigeria and announced the company would begin offering monetization to creators in Q3 2024.
Despite these changes, Meta emphasized that the development will not affect its ongoing investment in Nigeria. “We are firmly committed to Nigeria and are making focused, balanced investments to support our most strategic long-term priorities,” the company stated.
However, Meta is not the only big tech company to make operational changes in Nigeria. Microsoft also announced in May 2024 that it had closed the African Development Centre and cut at least 100 engineering jobs.
In conclusion, while Meta’s decision to reduce its presence in Nigeria may raise eyebrows, it’s important to note that the company remains committed to its strategic priorities in the region. Only time will tell how these changes will impact Meta’s operations and its relationship with the Nigerian market.
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