Journal Entry – December 12, 2024: Exploring HR realities and redefining Workforce Management in Nigeria

Journal Entry – December 12, 2024: Exploring HR realities and redefining Workforce Management in Nigeria

WorkLife forum ESP

Autors: Keran Oyoue, Investment Officer ESP in collaboration with ESP communication dept.

On December 12th, 2024, as part of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, we (ESP) co-organized an event in Lagos, Nigeria, in collaboration with PaidHR, one of the startups we proudly support. The WorkLife Forum 2024 aimed to address a critical subject for our portfolio companies and investment vehicles—human resource management in Nigeria.

The event brought together a diverse audience, including our portfolio companies (Lifestores, Pricepally, Regxta, and others), investment vehicles, and key ecosystem players like Oui Capital and Hervest. In total, leaders, HR professionals, and industry experts, participated in the forum.

 

Ore Badmus Ore Badmus from PaidHR graciously hosted the event, which blended insightful discussions with interactive activities, such as a mixer and even a fun karaoke session showcasing hidden talents among participants.

 

Key Takeaways :

  1. PaidHR’s Mission
    Seye, the co-founder of PaidHR, shared their journey to simplify payroll management in Nigeria, now supporting over 12,000 employees. His emphasis on building solutions locally resonated with the audience, reinforcing the value of relevance and impact.
  1. Data-Driven HR Decisions
    Ola presented The State of the Employed report, highlighting actionable data insights. She stressed the importance of anonymous employee feedback to tailor effective HR policies. Interestingly, the report revealed a 60,000 (~$37) naira median income in Lagos and highlighted that the oil sector offers higher salaries than tech.
3. Redefining Talent Locally
Gbenga Totoyi from Consolidated Hallmark Insurance encouraged redefining talent through a local lens. He shared his unique perspectives on addressing Nigerian employees’ daily challenges 
4. Targeted Employee Benefits
With Nigeria’s inflation at 35%, Gbenda Totoyi emphasized the importance of targeted benefits over nominal salary increases. Suggestions like mid-month benefit disbursements were shared as effective solutions for financial relief.
5. Localized Benefits
Tailoring employee benefits to local living conditions ensures they are meaningful and impactful, especially in a country as diverse as Nigeria.
6. Retention Strategies
The session highlighted the importance of providing growth opportunities, setting challenging goals, and addressing employees’ real-life concerns to retain top talent.
7. One-on-One Engagements
Direct engagement with employees was underscored as a way to uncover actionable insights and prioritize impactful changes.
8. Workforce Contextualization
The evolving dynamics of working hours, especially with remote work, were explored. Empathy and clear expectations were identified as essential to maintaining productivity without burnout.

The event was a resounding success. PaidHR’s team organized a well-structured and engaging forum, and the insights shared could serve as best practices for businesses even beyond Nigeria. The WorkLife Forum truly embodied our mission at ESP: empowering businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving work landscape.

Check out the pictures : https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBXxrx 

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