Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, has denied reports that American technology company, Microsoft, is shutting down its operations in Nigeria.
In a post on X on Thursday, the presidential aide said Microsoft is only re-aligning roles, which would impact some positions.
On May 8, it was reported that Microsoft sacked its workers at the Africa Development Centre (ADC), located in Lagos.
A staff, who confirmed the development had said that the workforce was laid off, but the reasons are still unknown.
Ajayi said the affected staff is less than 30.
“The story that Microsoft is shutting down its the Nigeria office is not true. The Africa Development Centre is just a department within Microsoft’s business in Nigeria.
According to the presidential aide, the affected staff will be asked to apply for new roles within Microsoft.
He said this is “a standard practice within the organisation”.
Ajayi added that those who cannot find new roles in other departments or those who want to seek new opportunities outside the system will be asked to go.
Describing Peter Obi’s comment as sensational, Ajayi said the situation at Microsoft is not anywhere near the impression of the ‘earthquake’.
On May 8, Peter Obi said the announcement of Microsoft shutting down its innovation centre and cutting 200 jobs is deeply troubling.
Obi said it represents another significant setback for Nigeria’s aspirations to become a hub for technology and innovation in Africa.