President Tinubu’s media adviser, Temitope Ajayi, has set the record straight, denying reports that Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre in Lagos has ceased operations, describing the claims as false and unfounded.
Ajayi clarified that reports of a shutdown were grossly exaggerated, revealing that Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre is instead undergoing a strategic restructuring, involving role re-alignment, which may lead to a limited number of position redundancies.
Ajayi made this clarification on Thursday via an online statement on x.com, putting to rest the speculation surrounding the organisation’s operations.
Under his handle @TheTope_Ajayi, Ajayi took to Twitter to criticize a previous tweet by Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, calling his statement on the matter a “naked dance” and implying it was a reckless and uninformed move.
Obi had lamented the announcement on the shutdown, saying it “underscores the urgent need for comprehensive economic reforms in Nigeria.”
Obi’s tweet partly read, “The recent announcement of Microsoft Nigeria to its workers about shutting down its innovation centre in Lagos and cutting 200 jobs is deeply troubling. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive economic reforms in Nigeria.
“This further highlights the challenges and broader issues plaguing the Nigerian economy. The closure of Microsoft’s innovation centre represents yet another significant setback for Nigeria’s aspirations to become a hub for technology and innovation in Africa.”
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The former Anambra State Governor tweeted that the shutdown “raises serious concerns” about Nigeria’s “business environment for investors.”
Reacting to this, Ajayi noted, “The story that Microsoft is shutting down Nigeria office is not true. Africa Development Centre is just a department within Microsoft business in Nigeria. Contrary to incorrect media reports and Peter Obi’s naked dance, the Africa Development Centre is also not shutting down.
“Microsoft, like any other organisation, is only re-aligning roles within the business, and few roles will certainly be impacted. Affected staff, which are less than 30, will be asked to apply for new roles within Microsoft – a standard practice within the organisation.”
As stated by the presidential aide, employees who are unable to secure new roles or those seeking external opportunities will be exiting the company. He disputed Peter Obi’s sensationalized description of the situation at Microsoft, saying it was not as calamitous as Obi had made it out to be.
“Employees who can’t find new roles in other departments or those who want to seek new opportunities outside the system will be asked to go. The situation at Microsoft is not anywhere near the impression of the ‘earthquake’ that Peter Obi sensationally described.”