I'm a full stack developer in Lagos and honestly, the market right now feels...

Oyenusi olujimi
@olujimioyenusi9814
21 days ago

I'm a full stack developer in Lagos and honestly, the market right now feels like a tale of two cities. On one hand, there's still a hunger for experienced devs who can hit the ground running. On the other, junior roles have gotten way more competitive since the funding boom died down a bit.

The stack I see most consistently in job postings across West Africa is still the MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node) setup. But here's the thing that surprised me - companies are increasingly asking for TypeScript on top of that. It used to be a nice-to-have, but now it's basically expected for any backend role. I also see a growing demand for cloud skills, specifically AWS or Azure basics. If you can spin up an EC2 instance or set up a Lambda function, you're way ahead.

What I'd add that others haven't touched on yet is the rise of contract work over full-time gigs. A lot of companies are offering six-month or one-year contracts with a possibility of renewal, rather than permanent positions. This can be rough for stability, but it's also a way to get your foot in the door and build a reputation. I've seen juniors who take two or three short contracts end up with a solid portfolio and referrals within a year.

For anyone just starting out, focus on building a strong portfolio with real-world projects, even if they're for local businesses or non-profits. Most recruiters I've talked to care more about what you can do than where you studied. Also, join local tech communities on Slack or Discord. I landed my current role through a referral from someone I met in a Lagos dev group.

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