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The Potential of Hybrid & Remote Work in Nigeria

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Are Nigerian Businesses Ready for Hybrid & Remote Work?

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end, it has already forever changed the working of the world works. Not only has remote work and hybrid work become ordinary practice in various regions of the globe, but it has also become the norm and not the mere temporary response to the pandemic. The debate is now gaining pace in Nigeria; are the Nigerian businesses prepared to undergo this change?

According to a report written by the International labour organization (ILO) in 2023, the remote and hybrid working paradigm spiked past 60 per cent globally in the past three years. In the meantime, according to the data provided by Statista, more than a quarter of all workers around the world currently work remotely to some extent. Nigeria ranks fifth in the list of African countries that have been trying remote and hybrid work setups. Nevertheless, the level of preparedness and efficiency is different. The way towards smooth digital transformation of work in Nigeria has its hills and valleys, starting with infrastructure drawbacks and continuing with the culture of rigidity at the workplace.

A survey carried out by KPMG Nigeria in 2024 on HR outlook indicated that 57 per cent of businesses in Nigeria have at least a hybrid working option. However, a small proportion of 22 per cent of respondents reveal that they have put up a long-term HR strategy to facilitate this change. The latter is a problematic area that can be highlighted by this gap, i.e. businesses are willing to be flexible, but are they ready to sustain and help it?

This article examines the level of Nigerian hybrid work preparedness, the imminent remote work issues staring down Nigeria, and what the Nigerian workplace future is ahead of employers and employees. We discuss whether the existing level of business flexibility in Nigeria will be able to satisfy the needs of a digital workforce and what changes will have to be made to the HR strategy in Nigeria in order to empower the Nigerian talent, the remote workers of the post-pandemic economy.

 

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Digital Work Transformation Nigeria: Progress and Pain Points

It is a fact that there is a digital transformation in Nigerian businesses. Whether it is fintech startups in Lagos or oil companies in Port Harcourt, digital platforms are getting more ingrained in the business operations. Nevertheless, in the case of hybrid and remote work, change is lumpy.

Most businesses have a hard time with:

- Weak digital infrastructure: Unregulated power and unstable internet are still one of the biggest impediments, particularly to the small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) not located in large cities.

- Unsuitable tools and platforms: Large proportions of organizations continue to use inadequate communication channels, and a small percentage of them have sound collaboration tools, e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams or project management collections.

- Poor digital literacy: Not every employee is ready to work in virtual workspaces. This interferes with productivity, which can be brought about by effective hybrid work.

In a survey conducted by Techpoint Africa in 2023, of all the remote workers in Nigeria, only 34 per cent said they had sufficient digital tools and unrestricted connectivity. SMEs still trail multinationals and bigger local companies, even though there have been improvements on their part, which supports a digital divide that compromises the uptake of remote work in the country.

 

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Cultural and Organizational Resistance

This is in addition to infrastructure; there is the cultural and organizational mindset, which acts as a major obstacle. Nigerian culture of workplace culture is old-fashioned and prides itself on face time and bossy appreciation. To most managers in business, the number of employees on their desks between the hours of 9 and 5 is synonymous with productivity.

This causes an unwillingness to change, as most managers are not ready or even do not want to accept the idea of performance-based assessment and an asynchronous working model. The result? The businesses enact the hybrid policies on paper and apply them using stringent rules that reduce flexibility.

A 2024 PwC Nigeria Future of Work Survey that covers Nigerian employees at large reveals that 48 per cent of those respondents stated their employers had implemented remote work guidelines, but almost half of them felt pressured to continue showing up in person or being online and always available.

 

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Business Flexibility Nigeria: An Evolving Landscape

However, notwithstanding the setback, some indications can be given that business flexibility in Nigeria is increasing. Remote and hybrid work has been adopted earlier in the technology and creative sectors due to the youthful population and the world influence. The use of a virtual workforce has become widespread in startups based on technology, online marketing, and content production.

Companies such as Flutterwave, Paystack and Andela are the first movers of remote-first culture and have easily been able to tap international talent as well as save overhead costs. As an example, Andela has mobilized and shipped out more than 100,000 African developers to remote-based global employment.

In the meantime, the Nigerian bank and telecoms conglomerates are beginning to change. As an example, the internal digital reskilling programs have been established at GTBank to assist with flexible work structures. Nevertheless, these attempts are not concerted under a national approach in planning and regulation.

 

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The Missing Link Black Strategy HR Nigeria

The absence of strategic HR frameworks is one of the largest gaps concerning the Nigerian readiness for hybrid work. The facilitating tools used by remote companies have been embraced by a lot of companies, but not the human resource strategies used to integrate them.

To work effectively on a hybrid, it is necessary:

- Clear KPIs for remote roles

- Training for managers in virtual leadership

- Mental health support systems

- Equitable promotion and performance review structures

However, the majority of Nigerian HR departments continue to work out the legacy frameworks based on face-to-face supervision. This destroys trust, responsibility and efficiency.

In addition, the laws in Nigeria do not provide all the protection for the remote working situation. This lays grey areas on the hours of work, liability and taxation procedures on remote employees, particularly freelancers and contract workers.

 

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Nigerian Remote Talents: Untapped Opportunity

Even though there are obstacles, remote work is an opportunity that can be used as a catalyst by Nigerian talent. The median population of Nigeria is at a very tender age of slightly more than 18 years. This generation of youths who are digitally-savvy are open to flexibility, entrepreneurship and access to global work opportunities.

Remote job opportunities will allow the trained Nigerians to avoid a lack of jobs, low pay, and traffic overloads in their provinces. On platforms such as Upwork, Toptal, and Deel, Nigerian remote professionals and freelancers have experienced a significant increase.

It also applies to Nigeria with its diaspora and returning professionals who are in a position to provide a bridge between local skills and international best practice. However, to capture and nourish this talent, inclusive growth necessitates investment in policies and infrastructure to drive hybrid models in Nigeria.

 

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What's Next in the Nigerian Workplace?

Flexibility, inclusiveness and innovation will characterize Nigeria as the future of work. Companies that still hold on to their expired models face the danger of losing the best employees, lagging behind market rivals, and failing to enjoy the advantages of a virtual workforce that is slowly taking root in Nigeria.

To be able to meet this future, Nigerian businesses should:

1. Invest in digital infrastructure that ensures good remote working stability and scalability.

2. Change teleworking HR policies to emphasise remote realities, such as psychological health, reasonable assessments, and privacy.

3. Leadership establish a culture of change and relays it to the entry-level employees and abandons the traditional trust based on who was there with presence to performance.

4. Educate the managers to manage the remote teams.

5. Liaise with policymakers to guide the drafting of remote accommodating labor arrangements and tax policies.

The hybrid model does not simply belong to the pandemic trend. It is a paradigm change in the operations, growth and ways of existing as a business in a digital economy. Companies that will survive in the future will be the ones that best realize the importance of the flexibility of business, which Nigeria is badly in need of developing.

 

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Conclusion

Nigerian companies could be attempting to have hybrid and remote working, though only a small number of them are completely prepared. The wish is present, yet the actual preparedness cannot be achieved by mere policy statements or computerized instruments. It requires the redefinition of working culture, infrastructural investment, transparency in regulations, and HR change strategy.

To enjoy the prospect of the worldwide virtual-worker-driven work opportunity that Nigeria may gain, it ought to resolve the long-entrenched issues associated with remote working that Nigerians continue to encounter. Opening a door to empowering Nigerian talent, remote workers and having a smart HR strategy and Nigeria frameworks are all steps towards the right direction.

It is a critical point. The issue is no longer whether hybrid and remote work will characterize the Nigerian workplace. It is a question of whether the Nigerian business is ready to take up the opportunity or continue living in a system that is soon becoming outdated.

This is the time to act.