When you’re ready to expand to Nigeria, one of the first challenges you’ll face is hiring. Your company can be only as successful as the people behind the brand, so you need talented employees to help you run a successful new location. However, learning how to recruit and hire Nigerian employees is often difficult when you have to comply and learn a whole new set of labor laws and continue to run your company.
Recruiting in Nigeria
Understanding cultural nuances will help you navigate interviews and meetings with candidates, but you should also learn about local recruiting practices. You’ll want to make the most of the country’s recruitment channels, and you’ll need to make sure you’re meeting all of the legal requirements to keep your company compliant from day one.
When you’re sourcing talent in Nigeria, you can start by posting your open positions on job boards and advertising in local newspapers.
Laws against discrimination in Nigeria
Several laws exist in Nigeria to prevent discriminatory practices in the workplace and beyond. The constitution prohibits discrimination on the following grounds:
- Religion
- Sex
- Origin
- Status
- Ethnic or linguistic association or ties
Further legislation prohibits discrimination based on HIV status and union membership. To stay compliant with Nigerian law, you should avoid asking direct questions about these characteristics during interviews with potential hires.
How to hire employees in Nigeria
In Nigeria, you must draft an employment contract in the local language. Per law, the contract must include the place of work, duties, hours of work, and holidays. Employees must receive their contract within 3 months of their start date. We also recommend spelling out terms of compensation, benefits, termination, entitlements, and more. Any offer letters and employment contracts need to have salary and compensation amounts outlined in Nigerian naira instead of another currency. Keep in mind that both fixed-term and indefinite-term employment contracts are allowed by law, so you have multiple options for how to hire employees in Nigeria.
Nigeria employment laws
Nigeria’s major sources of employment compliance laws include the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the Labor Act of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. All federal laws enacted by the National Assembly and state laws enacted by the House of Assembly also govern employment relationships.
There are 2 broad categories of employees in Nigeria — those who perform manual or clerical work and those who do administrative, executive, technical, or professional work. The Labor Act applies only to the first group of employees who handle manual or clerical work. Non-workers are typically governed by their employment contracts.
Onboarding in Nigeria
Companies can determine the best way to onboard new employees. However, we recommend taking certain steps to make new hires more comfortable and show them you care about what they can bring to your business. After you hire employees in Nigeria, make sure to review the employment contract with them on their first day. You can also take the opportunity to give them copies of other important company documents.
Grow globally with G-P.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 global employment platform, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.