Africa Has Trust Deficit, Not Talent Problem, Says TeeybAds Founder

A Nigerian marketing entrepreneur has challenged the widely held belief that Africa lacked skilled talent, arguing instead that the real issue was a shortage of trust and opportunity for young professionals.

Yusuf Toheeb, founder of TeeybAds, said his early career experience shaped his perspective on hiring and workforce development. According to him, the opportunities he received as a student, despite limited experience, played a defining role in his professional growth.

“When I started running Facebook ads, I didn’t have much experience or proof,” he said. “But some clients still trusted me with their money. That trust was everything.”

At the time, Toheeb was still a student with basic theoretical knowledge of digital advertising. By conventional standards, he said, he was an unlikely choice for businesses seeking measurable growth. However, those early clients took what he now described as a calculated risk—one that would later influence how he builds his own company.

Today, TeeybAds operates as a performance marketing and e-commerce management firm with a workforce of more than 25 employees. Its hiring model differs from traditional approaches that prioritise extensive experience. Instead, the company recruits largely based on perceived potential, often bringing in students and early-career professionals.

Toheeb believed the commonly cited “talent gap” in Nigeria and across Africa was overstated. “Africa does not have a talent problem,” he said. “It has a trust deficit.”

He argued that many young people were never
given the initial opportunity required to demonstrate their capabilities, creating a cycle where lack of experience becomes a barrier to entry.

That philosophy became more structured in 2023 after he attended a business conference organised by Akin Alabi. One of the key lessons he said he took away was the importance of building a team rather than operating alone. Shortly after, he hired his first employee—an individual with limited experience but a willingness to learn.

Since then, the company has expanded its team across roles such as media buying, video production, customer relations, and operations. Employees are often given responsibilities early, with training embedded into day-to-day work rather than delivered as a separate process.

Some team members said the approach has accelerated their growth. Kofoworola Ibrahim described the workplace as one that encourages learning, even through mistakes. Vivian Bejide said the responsibility entrusted to her improved her confidence and commitment to personal development, while Roseline Abioro highlighted what she called the company’s strong focus on employee growth.

The model raises broader questions about employment practices in Nigeria, where discussions often centre on education, skills gaps, and workforce readiness. While those issues remain relevant, Toheeb suggests they do not fully address the challenge of access to first opportunities.

“The trust I received made me,” he said. “I want others to be able to say the same thing.”

For TeeybAds, the approach represents more than a hiring strategy. It is an ongoing test of whether early trust, combined with responsibility, can help build the kind of experience many employers say is lacking in the labour market.