On the planet of labor immediately, many organisations are starting to sound like that lizard—pleased with their dexterity, however typically blind to the peak from which they leap. As Nigeria’s employment panorama continues to evolve, particularly below the affect of gig work, organisations are more and more confronted with a urgent strategic query: Ought to we hire expertise or personal it?
“Strategic HR leaders should determine which capabilities ought to reside completely throughout the organisation and which may be sourced on-demand.”
The query strikes on the coronary heart of a worldwide shift in how organisations view their folks—not simply as human capital, however as versatile belongings. In Nigeria, the place labour informality is already widespread, this alternative carries vital implications for productiveness, competitiveness, and company tradition.
Renting expertise: The attract of the Gig Mannequin
The rise of freelance platforms and short-term contracting has made renting expertise extra engaging than ever. It permits corporations to scale up or down quickly, reply to undertaking calls for with out long-term liabilities, and entry international swimming pools of ability at a fraction of the standard value.
Throughout Lagos, Abuja, and even rising digital clusters in cities like Ibadan and Kaduna, startups and midsized companies now depend on freelance builders, content material creators, UI/UX designers, and digital assistants who ship work remotely—typically with out ever stepping right into a bodily workplace. For these employers, renting labour seems to be leaner, quicker, and extra environment friendly.
Even giant organisations are experimenting. Some banks now interact contract entrepreneurs and outsourced gross sales groups who function below aggressive short-term targets however with out full employment advantages. For them, expertise has develop into a service, not a fixture.
However what’s typically missed is that renting labour creates a workforce with little attachment to the organisation’s imaginative and prescient. Loyalty is transactional. Institutional reminiscence is minimal. And when the perfect of that rented expertise walks away, they take their worth with them.
“The lizard that jumps from the excessive Iroko tree to the bottom stated it will reward itself if nobody else did.” — Igbo Proverb
Proudly owning expertise: Constructing for the lengthy haul
To personal your workforce is to put money into it—recruit strategically, practice intentionally, mentor constantly, and construct a tradition that binds staff to objective, not simply pay. This method is slower, extra capital-intensive, and generally much less versatile. But it surely yields a distinct form of worth.
Organisations that decide to expertise possession develop bench energy, management pipelines, and long-term capabilities that can not be purchased in a single day. Their staff embody institutional data, internalise buyer nuances, and infrequently drive innovation from inside.
In Nigeria’s banking and telecom sectors, companies which have invested in constructing sturdy inner expertise ecosystems—backed by in-house academies and mentorship frameworks—are likely to navigate transitions extra efficiently. Even in family-owned manufacturing companies, the few which have endured throughout generations have executed so by intentionally cultivating inner capability relatively than biking by contractors.
Expertise possession additionally improves employer model fairness. In a digital world the place repute is foreign money, being generally known as an employer who develops folks—not simply extracts from them—has tangible worth.
Learn additionally: Beyond tools: Why talent still drives the future of work
The actual value of a rented workforce
Past operational effectivity, the true value of relying too closely on contract expertise lies in cultural erosion. A rotating door of employees inhibits shared identification. Efficiency administration turns into fragmented. Crew cohesion weakens.
There may be additionally a regulatory blind spot. Whereas gig work allows value financial savings by bypassing statutory obligations, this exposes companies to compliance dangers, significantly as Nigerian labour legal guidelines start to evolve in response to international traits. The Worldwide Labour Organisation has already flagged precarious gig situations as an space of concern, and Nigeria is unlikely to lag indefinitely in reviewing its framework.
Maybe extra importantly, the rented mannequin limits succession planning. You can’t move the baton if nobody stays on the monitor.
A hybrid mannequin: Balancing flexibility with continuity
To be clear, this isn’t an argument towards gig work. Flexibility is a advantage, particularly in immediately’s risky economic system. However the query for each employer must be: what roles are core to our price creation—and which of them may be project-based?
Strategic HR leaders should determine which capabilities ought to reside completely throughout the organisation and which may be sourced on-demand. Possession must be reserved for positions that contain strategic considering, long-term consumer relationships, compliance threat, or innovation. Rental can help velocity, experimentation, and overflow capability—but it surely should be managed intentionally, not by default.
Expertise additionally has a job to play. Platforms that monitor gig efficiency, assess reliability, and combine freelancers into inner groups can bridge the possession hole. However digital options are not any substitute for tradition.
The place can we go from right here?
The proverb of the lizard reminds us that survival is just not sufficient. Recognition issues. Stability issues. Lengthy-term worth issues. If all we do is leap from undertaking to undertaking—celebrating short-term agility with out constructing long-term competence—we could discover that we’ve landed safely however gained little.
For Nigeria’s employers, the long run lies not in selecting between renting or proudly owning however in mastering the stability. As we embrace the gig economic system, we should not lose sight of the enduring significance of investing in folks, constructing loyalty, and transmitting institutional values.
Expertise is not only a transaction. It’s a relationship. And like all good relationships, it requires dedication to develop.
Dr Olufemi Ogunlowo is CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Restricted and writes on workforce innovation, efficiency technique, and labour transformation for BusinessDay.
