[0:00]You can build anything and earn as much as you want. Everyone, every role that makes money, makes money, keeps clients, brings clients for global businesses would always, always be in demand. question is a whole master class. I'm trying to see how I can cover it. So, please, what do Nigerians get wrong though, you know, in what do people get wrong that basically disqualifies them?
[0:35]If you've ever converted your current salary to dollars, just to know how it looks like. Raise your hands up because this episode is for you. If you've ever come across a video on social media or somebody that says, I just earned $4,000 working remotely, and you are curious as to how did that happen. Raise your hands up because this episode is for you. If you've ever wondered whether earning in global foreign currency is reserved just for, should I say some special few such as the tech bros, or those people that have Jac, this episode is for you. On today's episode of everyday Money Matters, proudly brought to you by Nairametrics, we are talking about how to earn in foreign currency without having to leave Nigeria. And today, with me, I have with me an entrepreneur, an HR enthusiast. This woman is a she's a coach in she's a coach, a career coach, and she's here to take us on the real expectations. And what it takes the career shift it takes to make Nigerians compete on a global skill when it comes to working remotely. I have with me Damilola Fayanjuola, the founder of People. Welcome to the show, Damilola. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Yes, so Fasa, just give us in one minute, tell us about yourself and people. Okay. I'm Damilola. Everyone calls me Damilola. I am a global HR professional. I have worked in HR and remotely for the past six years and I am the founder of People. People is where employers come to hire, you know, talent from out of Africa. All right, so that's who I am in summary. Okay. So, basically we are here today to talk about remote work. Every day we hear remote work on LinkedIn, remote work on Fiverr, everywhere. So, first off, is it all hype or are companies actually hiring hiring Africans remotely? And I specify on global companies, international companies, not companies in Africa. How does that even work, by the way? Okay, first, some companies in Africa hire international companies. So when people hear international remote, they all think every all the companies are from out of US or Europe or somewhere else apart from Africa, but yeah, we do have international companies that have African origin. I'm proudly African, so don't worry when I start to advocate with that, with that trigger. But yeah, yes, yes. The answer to your question is emphatically yes. It's not just hype. Is reality. It is what is happening. Remote work is real. It is it's unbelievable that I have to say this in 2026, but yeah, it's real. Africans, Nigerians are working remotely for international companies. So yes, they're hiring. Now, it goes deeper. You can begin to ask questions of, okay, in what, what's the rate? Who do they really prefer? How do these job, you know, how do they make their decisions? Where, where, where we're even going to get to all of that, we're going to get to all of that. But I just want you to give some insight as to what changed in the global workforce? I mean, was it as a result of COVID? Because you mentioned six years ago, six years ago was during COVID. Slightly that was when you got into remote. So from your perspective, what changed in the global workforce and even give a one-minute insight into how you even got into remote in the first place? Okay, so the first question, what changed? The obvious. Remote work had existed before COVID, but it became more pronounced and data backed this. Before COVID, before 2020, just let's use US data because we know we don't have a lot of data around here. Just below 5% of people professionals were working remotely in the US, but as we speak, that number that percentage has gone to about between 25 and 30%. So you can see that's actually a significant rise in remote work. So what pushed it, the obvious, COVID. So people did realize, they could do their business, they could work mostly without being on-site. So a lot of companies were forcefully opened to allow their employees to work remotely. It lingered on, all right, after COVID, because it it became the new norm. But in 2023, a lot of companies were saying, oh, wow, it was an event that brought us here. Now we want to go back to what we, what we used to do. So the pushbacks that are happening in 2023, a lot of companies, notable ones, Amazon, name them, you know, um, even publicly, there's some companies that were are opposed to remote work, you know, so, um, large companies for that matter. So yes, um, that that was what happened. The major thing that really pushed it, um, to become a norm and a mega trend is COVID. And yourself? For me, so yes, COVID played a big part on how I got into remote work. I was running a business before COVID, an event management business. So you can already imagine what happened to my event management business due to COVID. It was one of the industries that were largely impacted, right? So, it it it came to a natural hold. Just based on COVID and I was like, what am I going to do next? So I decided to do an audit of what I could sell. Yeah, so I was like, what do I do? What can I do? What do I do well? Project management came. So I actually started my career, my corporate career as a project manager. You said out. Don't make it sound. You took a course, right? Because you're saying you just sat out with your career as a project manager.
[6:25]Yeah, thank you for calling that out, honestly, because people don't tell their full story, and that's why you must ask the right questions. Yeah. While I was practicing as a small business owner, um, working on events, I did make sure that I wasn't doing, I wasn't playing a local game. So I became certified as as a PMP, project manager professional, even whilst I didn't have a boss, I didn't have an employer, but I wanted to make sure if I was sitting on a global stage with every event planner in the world, I wanted to be belonged to that room, belong to the table. So yes, I became certified as a project manager professional, and I used that at my work. So my work was very different from a just somebody I was passionate about planning events. That wasn't just it for me. Also, I became a satisfied meeting professional. I could I can plan any corporate event of any standard in any part of the world. So all those played a role in me getting my next opportunity when I decided to get a remote job. Okay. Okay, absolutely. Thanks for that insight. And would you say that that is pretty much the biggest opportunity this generation has seen? Is one of the biggest. People see remote work as an isolated event. Even some don't regard it as a major economic shift. It is beyond you getting a job and earning in naira as an individual. What happens when, um, an individual in a community, a family, a nation, a city, like Lagos gets a remote job? It's actually a ripple effect. It's not just one of and say, oh, I'm now earning in dollars. No, you would spend more. The departmental stores will make more because you are earning more. Your child will probably go to a better school. So you are distributing money, you are distributing power. I I equate it with power. A lot of empowerment. It is empowerment when you are able to earn in such good currencies, great currencies, without having to leave where you live. Okay? That's such a privilege. That's such, without having to relocate. So, now that remote work has become, should I say a pretty much a big deal, we are hearing some pushbacks over the past few weeks. I mean, these giants have come and they are like basically, these firms that, oh, you know what, they don't even want to do hybrid anymore. They want to cancel it in its entirety. So, is that even possible and to what end really? Could you share some, you know, even from your perspective as well. So, take it from your perspective first as a recruiter of labor. And then, you know, as equally a remote worker. Hmm. That's an interesting perspective because those are almost opposing. But let me start from the reason why large companies are pushing back. So, they have a couple of reasons and yes, while I'm an strong, unrepentant advocate of remote work, I am able to see from other people's perspective. So, a company would push back for a couple of reasons, but the top reasons, the number one, they would say, there's a bias from management and executives and owners generally. They would say, productivity is better in the office. Now, that's arguable because data is opposing. There's data supporting productivity great at home or remotely. There's data supporting productivity great in the office. So, I would say maybe creativity is better in the office, but maybe not productivity. Again, I haven't collected data, collaboration. So, yeah, but the data is very opposing. So, you can't really, nobody's really correct or wrong. The second thing is, of course, there's a strong reason for power reset. Just because. Yeah, because, um, employees are beginning to be the writer of their own stories and determining how they work and design their professional journey. And that is upsetting to a lot of executives. Yes. So they would, they would rather want to be in control of what happens in labor. So, I'm just getting back to your second point, because a little bird in my ear is telling me that most big corporates employers are just they want to control your life. That's why they want you to be. Yeah, of course, control, visibility equals control. Yeah, that's a given. It's a given. I mean, they will not deny that. Also, a lot of large companies, they have a long-term lease on their offices before 2020. Some people have signed 10 years, 20 years, 50 years lease. And now the office buildings are empty. That's a financial waste. You've got to come back and use what we paid for. Well, it's it's it's it's it's goes both ways, because when people work on-site, I mean, you have to power the building, you have to buy water, buy internet, um, a lot of expenses goes into that. So I don't understand the and the fact that their lease is wasting at ways running cost of operating the office if people were in there. True. To your point, still, there are some jobs that cannot be worked remotely. Yes. Yes. And of course, I I'm assuming everybody knows this, but some people are, Dami, I hope you realize that not everyone can work remotely. I'm like, oh yeah, I do. Of course, I do. We know that we know that not every job can be remote. We understand that. In your perspective, is remote work going, do you think these people would, you know, should I say succeed? Will remote work go back to the 5% it was in 2020, because a lot of there's been this massive. You know, they've been saying it since 2023 that they want to cancel remote work. But this year in particular, it's a global workforce issue. A lot of employers are saying no, you have to come back to work. So, do you think where do you think this is heading? Is remote work going anywhere anytime soon? It depends. And I will explain what I mean. So, you know, we have different sectors. They are very varying sectors. Some sectors, employers would eventually get what they want because there's no other way. Um, more traditional sectors to be to be precise, commercial banks, consulting firms, global services firms, manufacturers, they would get what they want. They would eventually have their employees working on site most of the time, but there are some sectors where remote work is not going anywhere. So the answer is not, um, all covering like every sector will remote work will remain. It depends on the sector we are talking about and we are discussing, yeah.
[13:17]So that's what I would say, but what I see personally, what I see happening is hybrid. What would stay? So, you know, before we had ad cor remote and that was the trend, the mega trend that was flying everywhere. I mean, no matter the kind of service you were running, your product you were building, you've got to just run remotely, but the trend I see happening, um, over the next couple of years is hybrid. A lot of, um, companies and businesses, regardless of the sector, will be welcoming to having, um, some days on-site and some days off work remotely. That's what I see. Why do you advocate for hybrid? Like, strongly? I'm not necessarily advocating for him. I just see that would all come to this middle ground at the end of the day for a couple of reasons. Okay. Yeah. So, I the reason Ibreed would eventually work is because the employee will be happier because they are able to work flexibly on some days and an employer is happier that, okay, you know what, some days I see you and I'm able to control situation. Okay. So let's speak from the recruiting perspective because, you know, you're you're by the way, you're going to share some insights into people. Um, Nigerians are one of the most resilient and hard working people. But then Nigerians have to be up against the global market. We are competing against Indians and I'm still going to speak. Indians are honey bees when it comes to working. Like, I'm going to speak a bit to that. So basically, um, what are global recruiters looking for, basically? What disqualifies? What sets people apart? What gives you the higher chance of getting selected for remote work against people competing globally? That question is a whole master class. I'm trying to see how I can cover it. Please give, give. As as a brand that is people, they look for a mirage of things, but let me prioritize. The first thing is your business impact. So nobody is hiring potential, nobody is hiring you just because you hold a passport or you went to a high like school or anything. Again, that plays to our own advantage as Africans. How that location, passport, the color of our skin, had been a disadvantage. Now, everybody is on a level ground. It doesn't matter the passport you're holding or the color of your skin or what part of the world where you live. We expect that everyone is judged based on the what they can deliver. So the first thing, recruiters look for is your business impact. What have you done before that you can do for this my business that I'm hiring for that would help our entire bottom line like scale us, retain our clients, make us more money, help us save costs, increase our productivity, improve our processes and systems. That's what they're looking for. Sorry to you. I beg to differ because I've seen these blatant discrimination where, you know, someone even says when you are signing up for a remote role, you know, rather put when they see you a Nigerian, they throw at you the flimsiest tiniest of offers. Talking about $3 per hour, you know, as low as that, and if you don't take it, you'll see an an Indian that will do it for $1 per hour, or 70 cents. Or $0.00. So discrimination isn't still a, it's a thing. I mean, I don't want to mention some platforms, but we know them. We know them and, you know, I still believe discrimination is a thing in comparison to an American citizen, don't you think you'll be getting different offers? Let's be real. We are real. So those are two different questions and two different conversation. Yeah. And the one discrimination is often misinterpreted misinterpreted, so I hardly use it. So I'm going to say what I see. If we are talking what recruiters are checking to make a decision of an hire, that was what I first raised about your business impact. Now, if we are talking accessibility to the global remote work market, we are talking who has better advantage. That's a different conversation. So yes, obviously, based on experiences and data, we do know that the remote global remote work market is more open, accessible, and favors those in the US market and Europe than those in emerging market. That is a given. Everybody knows that. We all know that. As a matter of fact, we call us the rest of the world. I see. We are talking. Yes.
[18:04]So these things are now two things to think about when you remember that. I tell my clients this all the time. Already understand that the stacks are help against you because of where you are. Yes. But again, you must understand that there are people just like you who have these opportunities and are living in that reality. So what I would say to an average Nigerian is, yes, put it at the back of your mind that you are somewhat disadvantaged because of your location. But, also understand that there are hiring. I mean, I've worked with companies where we, there are a lot of Nigerians. I mean, it's it's not like they're not hiring Africans. I work with even my current company, I work with a lot of Nigerians, I work with a lot of Africans, right? So they're hiring. But yes, we may not find as much as opportunities as we find. We could go on LinkedIn right now and when you filter, you would see the ones open to Nigeria much less than those. But yeah, but they are still hiring. Of course. What do Nigerians get wrong, though, you know, in what do people get wrong that basically disqualifies them, you know, the from the, yes, from getting a job remotely from your perspective as a recruiter. What I see mostly is they don't position themselves as a global professional. They play locally. So, they're not taking seriously. As a matter of fact, a lot of humans don't even see your resume, because ATS, Applicant Tracking System, will already weed it out and it will not be seen. Um, what does it mean to play locally? You are not thinking of the business. I tell applicants, the worst thing to do is to think as the applicant. Think as a business owner. Think as the owner of the company you're applying to. What would matter to you? Why would you make, because every hire is an investment decision for global companies? They want to know if I'm going to pay you $50,000 every year, what would that mean to my bottom line? Would you then solve my problem worth that amount? So you must think and show this is what I can do for your business. I've done this at XYZ. Show your business impact. It's how you compete. The competition is unbelievable. You have to be very competitive. It's like you're selling, you're selling yourself. You must not downplay on the numbers, the scope of the problems you solved, the things you've, you've done. Yeah, so I think that's that's the strongest suit for anyone who wants. Go and blow your trumpet. No one else would for you. But for that baker trying to get into data analysis like you said, I mean, you wouldn't blame them. This is 2026 and we hear that there are skills, you know, that are high in demand that these people ask for. I think you were opportune to have learned project management and that's, you know, equally translated to remote. So, I'm going to be getting them reading out from some skills from your perspective.
[21:23]Tech project management, HR, digital marketing and customer success. Which of these skills are globally demanded or highest, you know, in global demand in 2026?
[22:38]When you say tech, what do you mean? Software programming, even up to virtual assistant and the likes. From your perspective, what should people seeking to transform or move into remote work, what kind of skills should they start gathering? It depends on who's looking for the job. Sometimes, these responses are not one way. I've met with a lot of professionals in Nigeria and they want this single answer that solves all the that applies across board and it doesn't work. If you are a new graduate, you just finished NYSC, um, you've not work, you don't have any corporate experience. What you, your approach will be different from a banker who has worked in bank for five, six years, 10 years even or a business owner who has run a small business. So it depends on the the area that would work for each person is different. So, I usually categorize this thing like in a pyramid, according to their the barrier of entry. How difficult it is or how steep the learning slope is. So, there are some that in the first layer that is very easy. I mean, you can pick it up in a few weeks and you don't have a lot to learn as it were, and you're not always required to have deep experience or expertise. So, for a beginner, that's where to pick. So you would think of administrative roles. Some entry-level operations roads, because operation is really deep. You can't just double into it. So, but for a banker who has worked for years, you will be thinking, what have I done most of my career? Is it sales? Is it customer service? Is it operations? Is it accounting? What have I done most of my? That's where you'll be targeting. In terms of data, I don't know have I don't have data of which one is most in demand. But yeah, everyone, everything you mentioned on that list are all in demand. However, this is a rule of thumb I always speech. If you're really thinking of how to position yourself in a place that you would always be in demand, think of what makes money for employers. Think like the employer, not the employee.
[25:05]Everyone, every role that makes money, makes money, keeps clients, brings clients for global businesses would always, always be in demand.
