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  • Nigeria backend dev: best language path for Web3 jobs — Solidity vs Rust vs “backend infra” route?

    Abasi T

    Abasi T

    @ggvVaSO
    Updated: Jan 15, 2026
    Views: 421

    I’m a backend developer in Nigeria (3 years). I work mostly in Python + JavaScript. I understand Rust basics, but I haven’t shipped anything blockchain yet.

    I keep seeing “learn Solidity” and “learn Rust” everywhere, but I don’t want to spend the next 6 months learning the wrong thing and still have no portfolio.

    My target is a real blockchain dev job in the next 6–12 months (remote is ideal, I’m open to any chain as long as the work is legit).

    Here’s what I’m stuck on:

    • If I go Solidity-first, will I actually stand out without security/audit skills?

    • If I go Rust-first, does that path hire beginners, or is it mostly for strong systems folks?

    • Is there a third path where I stay “backend” but become Web3-relevant (indexers, infra, data pipelines, RPC, node ops, etc.)?

    Also—if you’re aware of anything that works well from Nigeria (communities, free resources, programs that don’t require expensive payments), I’d appreciate it.

    If you were in my position, what would you do in the next 12 weeks to become hireable?

    6
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  • AlexDeveloper

    @Alexdeveloper • 7mos

    If your goal is hireable in 6–12 months, I’d go Solidity-first — not because it’s “better”, but because it has the most beginner-friendly hiring surface area.

    But don’t do the mistake of “learning Solidity = watching tutorials”. A hiring manager won’t care.

    Do this instead:

    • Build 2 small but real things:

      1. one contract + tests (Hardhat/Foundry),

      2. one dApp integration (wallet connect + read/write + events)

    • Then do one security-flavoured project: re-implement a known bug pattern (reentrancy, access control, bad oracle use) and write a clean README.

    Rust is great, but Rust hiring usually assumes you’re already strong in systems thinking. You can still learn it later once you have one ecosystem where you can show proof.

    And honestly, certificates rarely move the needle. A clean GitHub with 2–3 solid repos does.

  • ChainMentorNaina

    @ChainMentorNaina • 7mos

    Rust can be a good bet if you genuinely enjoy it, but I’ll be real: Rust-based ecosystems often expect you to be comfortable with things like memory models, performance tradeoffs, and reading other people’s code.

    If you go Rust-first, don’t start with “build a blockchain”. Start with:

    • one program (Solana / Anchor style) or one Substrate pallet (if Polkadot path)

    • a repo where you show you can read docs + follow patterns + ship

    • then a small contribution to an open-source repo (even docs + tests counts)

    If you’re coming from Python/JS, Rust will feel slower at first. So ask yourself: do you want the faster job path (Solidity), or the steeper curve with potentially fewer but high-quality roles (Rust)?

    If you want to do both, do Solidity for 2–3 months to get momentum, then Rust when you’re not “portfolio-empty”.

  • AshishS

    @Web3SecurityPro • 1w

    Honestly, if you’re already solid in Python + JS, you don’t have to jump straight into smart contracts to become “Web3 hireable”.

    A lot of teams quietly hire backend folks for Web3 work where the job is basically: pull data from chain, make it reliable, expose it as an API, and keep it from breaking. Indexers, trackers, dashboards, alerts, RPC integrations, backend services that listen to events — that stuff is everywhere, especially in small teams.

    If you want a practical path, build something like:

    a simple service that tracks a wallet / token transfers and stores it in a DB

    an alerts system for big movements / liquidations / mint events

    a basic “protocol activity” API (even if it’s just 2–3 endpoints)

    This kind of project is very friendly for Python/JS devs and gives you something real to show on GitHub. And once you’ve shipped one solid infra project, learning Solidity later feels less scary because you’re already “in the space”, not starting from zero.

    Also on the Nigeria part — don’t overthink certifications. Some are nice, but most hiring folks care way more about “can you build + can you explain what you built”. If payments for courses are a pain, you can still go far with docs + open-source repos + YouTube + building in public.

    If your goal is a job next year, I’d rather see you ship 1–2 serious backend Web3 projects than spend 6 months collecting tutorials in Solidity/Rust with nothing deployed.

  • Shubhada Pande

    @ShubhadaJP • 5d

    I’ve noticed this pattern a lot — when someone asks “Solidity vs Rust”, they’re usually not stuck on the language… they’re stuck on which lane will get them judged fairly + what proof they can ship fast (especially if they’re coming from Python/JS backend). 

    If it helps, here are 3 internal pieces that map to that exact decision: 

    Proof-Based Hiring (what teams actually look for) 

    https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/proof-based-hiring-in-web3 

    • Solidity Debugging & Tooling Hub (EVM lane = testing + debugging matters more than tutorials) 

    https://artofblockchain.club/discussion/solidity-debugging-tooling-hub 

    • Rust/Solana quick signal check (Anchor) 

    https://artofblockchain.club/quiz/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-account-macro-in-anchor .

    Curious — are you aiming for EVM smart contracts, Rust/Solana programs, or a backend infra route (indexers/APIs/RPC/data) first… and what’s the one project you can realistically ship in the next 8–12 weeks?

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