Working in Nigeria
Expats working in Nigeria will most likely find themselves embittered by the daily struggle, despite the country's continued efforts at reform within the business world.
The African nation experienced economic liberalisation in 1995, and since, has had a more open system available to foreign investors. There has certainly been a strong push to evolve business practices and to entice more skilled labourers to Nigeria; but as most expats working in Nigeria will tell you, there's much improvement to be had in business environment.
Nigeria is notoriously associated with scams that pivot around job offers. For this reason, expats offered a position in Nigeria should confirm that the employer is legitimate, by consulting with their local Nigerian Embassy, and by attempting to contact expats on the ground.
Employers hiring foreign workers must obtain an Expatriate Quota and a Business Permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Only workers coming from other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not need a work permit.
Nigeria's economy is still largely chained to its oil sector, which accounts for 97.5 percent of foreign exchange earnings; though the government is starting to take slow steps to diversify its economy.
As a result, most expats working in Nigeria are in the service of oil and mining companies; or the banking, telecommunications and construction industries.
Apart from jobs in these industries, expats who possess exceptional skills in the IT, journalism/communication and health sciences sectors will have more work opportunities available to them. The NGO sector is also a significant employer, as several agencies and UN projects use Nigeria as their West Africa operations base.
Corruption is still commonplace in Nigeria, and bribery seems to be the order of the day when it comes to negotiating business deals or even jockeying for work contracts. Connections with ministers and government officials are all-important and readily dictate levels of success or failure.
It won't be long before expats working in Nigeria find themselves a victim of the workforce policy on punctuality, "Hurry Up and Wait". The nation very much functions according to African time, meaning that a meeting scheduled for 10am may very well happen only at 3pm, if at all. Prepare yourself accordingly and learn to be as flexible as possible.
In Nigeria, employers rarely pay wages for overtime, and after-hours work is often not compensated.
Expats are advised to try and find accommodation in close proximity to their work as congestion and high transportation costs can be quick to put a damper on your day.
The African nation experienced economic liberalisation in 1995, and since, has had a more open system available to foreign investors. There has certainly been a strong push to evolve business practices and to entice more skilled labourers to Nigeria; but as most expats working in Nigeria will tell you, there's much improvement to be had in business environment.
Nigeria is notoriously associated with scams that pivot around job offers. For this reason, expats offered a position in Nigeria should confirm that the employer is legitimate, by consulting with their local Nigerian Embassy, and by attempting to contact expats on the ground.
Employers hiring foreign workers must obtain an Expatriate Quota and a Business Permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Only workers coming from other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not need a work permit.
Nigeria's economy is still largely chained to its oil sector, which accounts for 97.5 percent of foreign exchange earnings; though the government is starting to take slow steps to diversify its economy.
As a result, most expats working in Nigeria are in the service of oil and mining companies; or the banking, telecommunications and construction industries.
Apart from jobs in these industries, expats who possess exceptional skills in the IT, journalism/communication and health sciences sectors will have more work opportunities available to them. The NGO sector is also a significant employer, as several agencies and UN projects use Nigeria as their West Africa operations base.
Corruption is still commonplace in Nigeria, and bribery seems to be the order of the day when it comes to negotiating business deals or even jockeying for work contracts. Connections with ministers and government officials are all-important and readily dictate levels of success or failure.
It won't be long before expats working in Nigeria find themselves a victim of the workforce policy on punctuality, "Hurry Up and Wait". The nation very much functions according to African time, meaning that a meeting scheduled for 10am may very well happen only at 3pm, if at all. Prepare yourself accordingly and learn to be as flexible as possible.
In Nigeria, employers rarely pay wages for overtime, and after-hours work is often not compensated.
Expats are advised to try and find accommodation in close proximity to their work as congestion and high transportation costs can be quick to put a damper on your day.
