The Gh Tech Bro Problem

There’s a certain kind of energy that’s become all too familiar in Ghana’s tech circles, the constant need to argue, the air of superiority and the need to dismiss rather than discuss. If you’ve spent enough time around Ghanaian tech bros, especially on Twitter, you probably know what I mean.

I used to post about tech a lot more. I’d share what I was learning, the things I was building, or just pose questions out of curiosity. But somewhere along the line, it stopped being fun. Every tweet felt like an invitation to be talked down to, nitpicked, or told to “do more research” by someone who had nothing on their name but a loud opinion.

At first, I thought it was me. Maybe I was being too sensitive. Maybe I had impostor syndrome. But over time, I realized I wasn’t alone. Others feel it too, that sense that our space wasn’t really built for support or growth, but for ego contests.

It’s not that Ghanaians aren’t brilliant. We absolutely are. But there’s a bad habit somewhere in our tech culture. Instead of community, we’ve built cliques and we’ve built hierarchies instead of mentorship. And instead of lifting others up, we often rush to remind them of how litttle they supposedly know.

Part of it might be scarcity, the fact that in a small ecosystem, everyone feels they have to stand out. But the way we go about it is damaging. It’s like everyone’s trying to prove they’re the smartest person in the room, even if it means making others feel small. Some people thrive on that energy. But many like myself, just quietly stop showing up.

And it’s funny because when I think about Nigerians, the contrast is clear. Nigerian devs hype each other up, share opportunities, and even the ones at big tech companies are usually accessible and supportive. Back when I had a small group of Nigerian devs I studied with, four out of seven ended up at Meta(walaahi I will end up at Meta too). And they never really made anyone feel less than. It was all learning, sharing, and growing together.

In Ghana, too many folks act like they’re above that. They’d rather argue for the sake of argument than build something together. They’d rather correct you publicly than help you privately.

It kind of felt weird to me at first, but walking away from that doesn’t make me weak. It doesn’t mean I lack confidence or can’t handle critique. It just means you don’t have the energy to perform for people who don’t actually care to understand you. It means you value peace, authenticity and growth over clout and noise. A fun fact I’d probably share was that I quit a former job because of this, I used to think I needed a sense of community to thrive but what I’m talking about exists outside twitter and office politics is pretty much the same thing, and everyone loses in the end(which is probably why I won’t go back to an on-site job).

I’ve learned to protect my space. It’s okay to build quietly, to share when it feels safe or to find smaller circles where curiosity is welcomed, not weaponized. Because there are Ghanaians who are kind, brilliant and collaborative just not always the loudest.

Until we unlearn this toxic superiority complex, we’ll keep stifling the very people we need to push it forward. We need less ego, more empathy. Less gatekeeping, more guidance. And maybe, just maybe, the next wave of builders won’t have to think twice about sharing their journey.

Also, maybe I really have impostor syndrome and I suck at doing this, in that case everything I’ve said above is nothing but a half-assed emotional rant.