00:07Chisom Amalu's commute is just a few steps from his Abuja home, but his daily output
00:14lands thousands of miles away.
00:17As a remote software engineer, he builds the digital architecture keeping international
00:23platforms running smoothly.
00:24We all know the state of our era and earning in dollars helps to boost my finances over
00:35here, helps to make more decisions financially and also to grow my career.
00:42I can also sponsor myself in other things to get more certification and also to drive
00:50my own product out there.
00:53Chisom is part of a massive demographic pivot.
00:58Across Sub-Saharan Africa, tech talents, creatives and analysts are trading local job lines for
01:05global remote contracts.
01:07Africa has grown to a very large extent where we have a very huge pool of talents, right?
01:13And those that have to take the horn by themselves to build themselves with the advance of AI,
01:19with the introduction of AI, none of that.
01:21So that talent pool alone is a huge advantage.
01:25And that advantage is rapidly turning into an economic lifeline.
01:30The World Bank estimates that about 17.5 million people in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa earn
01:38through online gigs.
01:40Together, these three countries account for more than 80% of online gig traffic from Sub-Saharan
01:46Africa.
01:47It shows how quickly digital work is becoming a new source of income for Africans, although
01:53the opportunity may be digital.
01:55In Nigeria, many of the barriers are physical.
01:59In Nigeria, interruptions to power and connectivity can mean extra costs.
02:05And for online workers competing globally, that could result in lost opportunities.
02:10To truly stand toe-to-toe with established global outsourcing hubs, economists warn that Africa
02:19must formalize this freelance hustle into a policy-backed industry.
02:24It's a form of export as recognized by the World Trade Organization.
02:29And it is something that we should be looking at in this digital world, this new age, because
02:38there is a need to put pressure on alternative sources of forex, other than the exporting of
02:47raw materials that we were doing before.
02:50Global trade bodies point out that seamless electronic payments, digital infrastructure and
02:56clear regulations are vital next steps.
02:59If executed correctly, the continent's primary currency wouldn't be what it digs out of the
03:05earth, but the collective brain power of its use.
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