
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.