Meta’s latest round of job cuts, which impacted 3,600 employees globally, has also affected staff in Nigeria and other African offices.
Meta announced the terminations across its global workforce in an internal memo, with only employees in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands exempted. Affected employees in Africa, Asia, and other parts of Europe will receive their termination notices between February 11 and 18, 2025.
A Meta spokesperson for sub-Saharan Africa downplayed the cuts, stating they were part of the company’s routine performance-based layoffs. Meta declined to specify the number of affected African employees.
“We have communicated transparently that, following our recent performance review cycle, we plan to exit our lowest-performing employees, the spokesperson told TechCabal. “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.”
The severance package for affected employees includes 16 weeks of base pay, plus an additional two weeks for each year of service. It also covers full payment for unused paid time off, six months of healthcare benefits, three months of career support, and immigration assistance.
The terminations coincide with Meta’s intensified focus on artificial intelligence (AI), as the company shifts resources toward automation and greater efficiency. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has declared 2024 the “year of efficiency,” highlighting efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs in non-priority areas.
Meta plans to allocate between $60 billion and $65 billion for capital expenditures in 2025, with a substantial portion directed toward AI infrastructure, data centers, and specialized chips to support advanced AI models. This reflects a broader industry trend, with major tech firms collectively planning over $300 billion in AI investments this year.
The terminations primarily target employees who received low scores in performance reviews, with Meta tightening its internal efficiency standards. While the company frames this as a routine adjustment, affected employees in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond are now facing an uncertain future amid the tech industry’s rapid transformation.
