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  • 7 Nigerians on the Nicest Things a Boss Has Done for Them

    It’s no secret that Nigerian bosses can be problematic. If they’re not taking credit for your work, they’re giving heavy do-as-I-say energy. 

    But, so it’s not like we’re pushing a “horrible bosses” agenda, we decided to ask Nigerian employees to share the nicest things a boss has ever done for them too, and seven of them had this to say:

    “He paid for my international passport” — Kitan*, 26

    My boss is a very chill and generous person. However, I still can’t believe he paid for my international passport out of his pocket.

    I’m his personal assistant, so when he started planning a family vacation sometime in 2021, I was in charge of making the visa appointments. He made a comment about me going on holiday while he was away, and I joked about not even having a passport. He was genuinely shocked and said he’d make sure I got one. According to him, “What if an opportunity to attend a conference abroad comes up?” 

    I thought he was joking until he told me to set up an appointment. He paid for the whole thing and acted like it wasn’t a big deal. 

    “She believed in me even more than I believed in myself” — Isaac*, 27

    My former team lead was the best boss I’ve ever had. She believed in me even more than I believed in myself.

    I work in operations, so my work spans several teams. This woman would give me ideas to implement and champion like I was the brain behind it. Because of that, I always wanted to go above and beyond. Countless times, she’d blow my trumpet in front of the entire organisation. I was a star because she made me a star. I’ll never forget her.

    “She helped me land a multinational job” — Maria*, 27

    My former supervisor is the reason I work in a multinational today. I was already tired of my old job; she noticed and called me aside to talk about it. She advised me not to spoil the reputation I’d worked hard to build just because of burnout.

    A few weeks after that talk, she shared the multinational job vacancy with me and encouraged me to apply. When the company contacted her for a reference, she gave a glowing recommendation, and I got the job. Funny enough, I always thought she was overly strict. I never imagined she’d do that for me.

    “He supported me during my dad’s burial” — Tobi*, 27

    I was a mess when I lost my dad in 2020. My company only allows a one-week compassionate leave for a family member’s death, but after the one week off, my boss took one look at me and sent me back home. I eventually took two weeks and three days off.

    By the time the burial came around, my boss released three company vehicles to help transport food and family members to the grave site without my having to ask. He also supported me financially. No employer has ever shown me such a level of care and support before.

    “His family took me in” — Diana*, 25

    I had some issues with my rented apartment in 2021, so I had to move back home — which I hated because of the distance to work and my touchy relationship with my parents.

    My boss noticed I was constantly unhappy and arriving at the office much later than usual. He asked, and I explained my new living situation. Within a few hours, he called me back into his office and offered that I come to stay in an empty room in his house. I was sceptical at first because I thought he was hitting on me, so I tried to refuse, but he told me his wife was in agreement.

    I moved in within the week, and his family was so welcoming. I moved out a month later when I got my own place, but it’s still the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while.

    “He gave me a salary advance in my first month” — Moses*, 31

    Two weeks after starting my new job, my wife delivered twins via an unplanned caesarean section. I had no money and couldn’t get a quick loan from friends. I had to reluctantly approach my boss for a salary advance, and surprisingly, he approved it without asking for long explanations. He even sent gifts for my wife and babies.

    “She gave me clothes and perfume” — Sarah*, 22

    I interned at a company on the island in 2019, and my supervisor was the kindest woman ever. I couldn’t really afford clothes, so I repeated the few corporate outfits I had many times. One day, this woman came to the office with a full bag of clothes and handed it to me. She said she was decluttering her wardrobe, but the clothes were practically new.

    Another time, I had a brief body odour problem I was very self-conscious about. Then she got me a really expensive perfume without saying a word. I really wish I get to meet her again one day.

    *Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

    GET TICKETS HERE

    NEXT READ: How Long Should You Stay at a Job? — We Asked 7 Nigerians

    Tife Oni

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  • The 8 Times It’s Okay to Call Your Boss “Daddy”

    If you really deep it, Nigerian bosses and fathers are very alike. They’re both always right, expect you to know what they’re thinking and make the best decisions, or at least, that’s what they like to believe. The point is, they’re unquestionable.

    Since your male boss and your father are basically the same people, there’ll be times when you can’t tell the difference between them. And in these eight scenarios, you can actually call your boss “Daddy”.

    When you’re dating them

    Whether you call them Daddy or Zaddy, same difference.

    During morning devotion

    If your workplace still does morning devotions in the 21st century, then it’s not out of place to call your oga “daddy”. He might even expect it. It’s giving, “God, bless our daddy today”.

    When they ask you to

    If you don’t know that some bosses actually order you to call them “daddy” or “uncle”, then you obviously haven’t heard of local government offices.

    When you want to spice up a boring workday

    So there’s no fuel to turn on the office generator, and everyone is dying of heat. Cracking jokes to lighten the mood is stale. Use the daddy card and see if everywhere won’t come alive. Even if all they do is stare at you in disbelief, alive is alive.

    On payday

    You’re an African child who’s been brought up to pay respect to your elders. So, how can you receive salary without telling your boss, “Thank you, Daddy”? Fix up.

    When you’re tired of capitalism

    Every day, you go, “I’m tired of work”, but you never really do anything to stop it. Call your boss “Daddy” today and see if that problem won’t be solved.

    When they’re your actual daddy

    Especially if you want to remind your colleagues your father owns the whole establishment. They better start kissing up to you if they like employment.

    If it’s their name

    If Nigerians can give their children names like Godsbattleaxe, what is “Daddy” that’s too much for them?

    NEXT READ: How to Argue Like a Nigerian Boss

    Tife Oni

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  • How to Argue Like a Nigerian Boss

    As a Nigerian living in Nigeria, you should be certain of two things. One: If you have light for three consecutive days, look for NEPA’s office and beg them to take the light. There’s a problem somewhere.

    Two: Typical Nigerian bosses are never wrong. Like, never. 

    The key to winning every argument is by using Nigerian boss tactics, and this article will teach you how.

    Make a decision

    For top points, pick the most unreasonable decision or opinion possible. For example, of course, one person should be able to do the work of five people without complaining. Are you asking for too much, or are they just not putting in the effort?

    Stand by it

    Channel your inner mountain and absolutely refuse to change your stance. It doesn’t matter if everyone around you is crying. You’ve made your decision, and changing it means you lose the argument. We don’t want that.

    Never accept defeat

    Even if the points against your argument are as bright as the Kaduna sun, refuse to be defeated. If they do too much, tell them, “I’ve been an expert in this field since before you were born”. That’ll show them.

    Intimidate others into silence

    Directly or indirectly threaten to show them shege if they dare question your authority. They’ll accept your every word as law.

    Play the boss card 

    If it looks like you’re losing, just say, “Do you know more than me?” but don’t even give them the space to answer. Just keep repeating that question.

    It’s like you know more than me, abi?

    RELATED: 9 Appropriate Responses to the Frustrating “Do You Know Who I Am”?

    Tell them you’ll consider it

    If the person has coconut head and still insists on making their opinions heard, tell them you’ll consider it. Then proceed to never think about it again.

    Say, “It’s against policy”

    And don’t bother to explain what policy you’re talking about. The point is, you know more than them, and they need to shut their face.

    Or just sack them

    How dare they question your irrational ways? If you can’t sack them because you’re not a Nigerian boss in real life, sack them from your life and keep it moving.

    ALSO READ: 9 Unmissable Signs That Your Nigerian Boss Is Clueless

    Tife Oni

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  • 6 Nigerian Women Tell Us What It’s Like to Be Female Bosses in Male-Dominated Workplaces

    In a patriarchal society, Nigerian women have to put up with things like being sidelined in government or being the subjects of tweets like this:

    https://twitter.com/rayzor776/status/1548927534380744704

    But we aren’t spared in the corporate world either. In this article, six Nigerian women tell us what it’s like to be female bosses in male-dominated offices:

    “I have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously”

    — Bella*, 42, real estate consultant

    I own a real estate company, and if I got a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “A man must be bank-rolling her,” I’d be a billionaire now. If people paid more attention to making money for their children, maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to assume that everyone has to sleep with people to get wealth.

    I’ve been in this business for close to eight years, and while it’s a lot better now, my earlier years were tough. I felt like people didn’t take me seriously, and I remember having to take a loan to buy a bigger car just so I could command respect when conducting site inspections. I’d be the first to get to work and the last to leave because I needed everyone to see how hard I worked.

    But now? My achievements speak for me, and I couldn’t care less what anyone thinks.

    “Stereotyping is so annoying”

    — Dara*, 26, human resource lead

    I lead my team at my workplace, and I’ve noticed that I need to pay special attention to treating people nicely just so I don’t fall into the “female bosses have wahala” stereotype.

    I’m quite certain that my male colleagues don’t have to reread their emails five times before sending them to confirm that they don’t sound domineering. It’s a peculiar situation, but I’m happy to put in the work if it means that just one more person can attest to the fact that not all female team leads are out to stress you.

    RELATED: Seven People Talk About the Nigerian Stereotypes They Face

    “My imposter syndrome is worse”

    — Kira*, 30, software engineer

    Before I even started leading my team, there were multiple times when I questioned my abilities.

    Imagine being the only woman in a department, in an organisation that has more women occupying the non-technical roles. Even though people treated me with respect, I subconsciously felt the need to prove that I deserved a place as “one of the boys”.

    Now that I lead my team, I struggle to delegate tasks because I still feel the need to prove myself. It’s an internal struggle, but my team members are nice.

    RELATED: Five Nigerian Women in Tech Talk About Why There Are Fewer Women in Tech

    “They have no choice but to listen when I speak”

    — Funmi*, 30, operations manager

    I manage operations at a real estate firm, and it’s a very challenging environment. It’s been an interesting ride, but I’ve not had any issues relating to my gender.

    I’m very much respected because I know my onions, and they have no choice but to listen when I speak. I don’t feel any special need to prove myself because I’m confident in the value that I bring. If any organisation moves mad, I can just move on to the next one.

    “Funny enough, ladies are my problem”

    — Tosin*, 35, creative producer

    I work in media, and most of my team members are male. They’re cool for the most part, with the odd case of expecting me to take notes in meetings just because.

    It’s the ladies that stress my life. I think most ladies don’t like working with female bosses because of this stereotype that we’re difficult to work with. So when deliverables are delayed, and I crack down on them, it’s almost like I’m reinforcing this stereotype, but they don’t see that it’s because they’re slacking.

    “It’s great”

    — Neema*, 29, finance professional

    I’m just one of two female team leads out of seven in my organisation, but I wouldn’t say it’s due to sexism. It’s a startup, but the culture is great — I don’t feel disrespected or targeted because of my gender.

    I once worked at an organisation where sexual harassment was rife, but I left immediately I noticed it. The people in my present company know they’ll lose their jobs if they even think about it. 

    I think it’s up to us as women to enforce a standard on how we want to be treated, or at least who we decide to work for. Companies also have a role to play in ensuring healthy work cultures for everyone, irrespective of gender.

    *Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity, and statements have been lightly edited for clarity.

    READ ALSO: Six Women on the Burden of Being Breadwinners in Their Families

    Tife Oni

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  • 4 Nigerians Talk About Their Bosses Taking Credit For Their Work

    There’s only one thing more painful than stubbing your little on the sharp edge of furniture – watching other people take credit for something you worked really hard for. I spoke to four Nigerians who recount their experiences under glory-thieving bosses. Here’s what they had to say.

    Tola

    I was an assistant producer working on two weekly shows and reporting to two producers at a popular TV station. While my job was only to write the show and supervise the production, I ended up doing both of the producers’ jobs. I decided the direction of the shows and even identified the guests to be invited. I did this every week. Sometimes, I’d sacrifice my weekends to cover events as favours to my bosses, but when it was time for the after-parties and dinners, they’d take the passes and ask me to leave. I worked on an in-depth documentary where I risked my life and spent days in the slum to produce it. My boss applied for a journalism award with that documentary. I just couldn’t bring myself to be happy for her because it was my hard work that won that award. 

    It made me feel used, and feelings of resentment grew. I understood that they were my bosses but I didn’t quite understand why they couldn’t be fine with taking credit for supervising the process? Why make it look like you did all the work? I was also worried that I would seem unproductive to HR during appraisals since my bosses were claiming to do all my work. They never gave me credit. They would even make up stories about how the idea for the stories came to them in a moment of epiphany. When cash rewards were given for really good stories, the bosses will give me a part of it in private but nobody would ever say, “It was Tola who put it together.” It was a very frustrating time of my life.

    Onyela

    I am part of the digital team as a content/social media executive. When my team reduced from three to two people, most of the workload fell on me. My team lead was shoddy and never did his job, leaving me to do all the team’s work. Last week, I got feedback from a client to my lead that they were impressed with the LinkedIn captions I came up with and told my team lead to “take a bow.” I was furious. I had to prove to my other colleagues that I actually wrote the captions for the client. My team lead still takes credit for all the team’s work, which I’m responsible for. He earns what I’d call an “armed robber’s salary” while I earn a paltry 100k before tax and pension. I’m hurt and very tired.

    Damisi

    This topic just reminds me of the time I used to freelance for a popular newspaper while I was a student in Ife. I was writing articles about school-related stuff until I decided to write a long feature article about the glut of private universities and the problems they might pose. I sent it to my usual editor in the newspaper, only for me to find out he had published it in his own name. I never wrote another article for that publication.

    Alice

    My job description began from one role and has now gone up to about five roles in one. Last year, a fraction of the company staff left at the same time last year, so most of the company’s work was left to me. At the end of the year, I failed to get a bonus like everyone else. When I asked why the CEO said he couldn’t see anything I had achieved that year. He introduced new vague parameters for measuring performance such as ethical values, transparency, etc. When I asked how he measured these parameters, he couldn’t answer. I didn’t get a bonus for last year, despite single-handedly raising the customer satisfaction index from 90% in 2019 to 96.4% in 2020.

    This year, a new boss took over. Recently, I discovered that every sale in the company earns a commission and that my new boss has been taking all my commission. The bulk of commissions came to about N270,000. I tacitly asked him about the commissions, hoping he’d feel ashamed and give me the N70,000 on top. Instead, he gave me 10k and called it “pocket money.” To date, he still hasn’t made any sales of his own. I’ve been asking for a raise for a while now but he keeps saying he’s in talks with the CEO. How could he ask the CEO for his commissions but not for my raise, despite the fact that I made most of the company’s sales?

    QUIZ: What Type Of Boss Will You Be?

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    Olufemi Fadahunsi

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  • 10 Things That Always Happen After The Christmas-New Year Break

    1. All the parties have caught up with you and now you are half dead

    2. Financially you are destroyed

    3. Like your situation isn’t dire enough, everyone is doing “New Year new me” so the prices of everything in all the stores have gone up

    4. Yet everyone still expects you to “do New Year” for them

    5. You this morning, realising you have to go back to the office

    6. And you see your office nemesis still has not resigned even though you begged God to do it for you as a new years gift

    7. Your boss is still alive

    8. Traffic has come back with a vengeance

    9. But at least the IJGB’s have carried their wahala and gone

    10. Then you realise you still have no significant other and valentines day is around corner

    Written by Zikoko contributor @Jollz

    Damilola

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  • Nigerian bosses are known for their ‘unique’ approaches when it comes to mentoring or ‘disciplining’ their coworkers.

    It tends to be similar to a ‘Nigerian parent to child’ relationship.

    Examples of these relationships have been highlighted in the past by Zikoko here and here.

     

    But truthfully, we all know a relationship between a boss and his employee should be like none of these! So today we are here to speak on such matters.

    Refix

    This is a call of duty to all Nigerian employees. If any of the following apply to you, you have an evil boss matter on your hands:

     

    1. Has your boss ever asked you to kneel down at work and beg for your job?

    evil bosses 7

     

    2. Locked you out of the office gate because you were simply 10 minutes late?!

    evil bosses 5

     

    3. Has your boss ever threatened to slap you?

    EBIL BOOSES

     

    4. And actually gone through with it?!

    evil bosses 3

     

    5. Or mentioned how ‘useless’ you are in front of all your junior colleagues?

    evil bosses 4

     

    6. Or made you stay in the office till after midnight simply because he is wicked and wants you to be as miserable as he is?

    evil bosses

     

    7. Has your boss asked you to go and fix their shoes, carry their handbag or pick their kids from school? But you are in fact the bank manager with multiple degrees?

    EVIL BOSSES 8

     

    If any of these sound familiar, share your experiences with Zikoko by emailing your most shocking and hilarious experiences to lola@zikokomag.com and we will ANONYMOUSLY share with your fellow Nigerians the things that some evil bosses in Nigeria do to their employees.

     

    If you are feeling brave or looking for social media fame, feel free to tweet us @zikokomag using the hashtag #EvilNigerianBosses.

     

    May their wickedness never prosper!

     

    Featured image by Zikoko Contributor @kpmy_.

    Damilola

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