Meta’s latest round of layoffs has reached Nigeria, with employees in the region among those affected by the company’s global job cuts. The tech giant recently announced the termination of 3,600 workers, excluding staff in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Employees in Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe are set to receive their notices between 11 and 18 February 2025.
While Meta has downplayed the move as part of routine performance-based terminations, the exact number of affected African employees remains undisclosed. A company spokesperson for sub-Saharan Africa defended the decision, stating: “We have communicated transparently that, following our recent performance review cycle, we plan to exit our lowest-performing employees. We have the highest confidence in the fairness and robustness of our performance review process leading to these decisions, and impacted employees are being provided with generous severance packages.”
Meta’s Shift Towards AI-Powered Efficiency
The layoffs align with Meta’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has dubbed 2024 the “year of efficiency,” reinforcing the company’s push to optimise costs while investing heavily in AI. Meta has allocated between $60 billion and $65 billion for capital expenditures in 2025, with a significant chunk earmarked for AI infrastructure, data centres, and specialised chips to support advanced AI models.
Affected employees will receive 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for each year of service. The severance package also includes full payment for unused paid time off, six months of healthcare coverage, three months of career support, and immigration assistance.
As the tech industry pivots towards AI-driven growth, employees in Nigeria and beyond now face an uncertain future amid tightening corporate efficiency standards.
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