Business Culture

Business culture

Here are some key Do’s and Don’ts when doing business in Nigeria

Do’s

• ·      Do some research on the Nigerian company you visit before you arrive
• ·      Do get to know the hierarchy of the company as early as possible
• ·      Do show up on time
• ·      Do be patient with Nigerian traffic
• ·      Do address Nigerians using their titles as this shows respect to the status of the person
• ·      Do remember to shake hands with everybody when you enter a room and go through the obligatory, fairly lengthy introductions with warmth and good grace.
• ·      Do try to avoid using your left hand when handing things to people, eating food etc.
• ·      Do be aware that a large part of the Nigerian population are Muslim so be aware of Muslim taboos on alcohol, pork, gambling etc
• ·      Do take care at all times and never go anywhere with people you do not trust or know quite well

Don’ts

• ·      Don't try to get decisions out of middle-managers - they usually can't make them.
• ·      Don’t ignore lower ranking officials - they can still be highly influential
• ·      Don’t worry if meetings seem a little informal and non-business focused, the more time spent on relationship-building, the better.
• ·      Don’t be alarmed if your Nigerian counterpart does not show up on time, that is based on Nigeria’s loose reckoning of time.
• ·      Don’t be scared if Nigerians are standing quite close to you. This should not be seen as threatening.

Dress code

• ·      Men: should wear dark suits and ties and women should wear dark, demure business-style suits.
• ·      Women: should not dress provocatively or too fashion-forward for business situations. If a woman is doing business in the predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria, especially if she will be meeting with a religious leader or conservative Muslim, a headscarf is suggested. 
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Team Working

As Nigerians are enormously relationship oriented, they have the potential to work very collaboratively and successfully in a team environment. However, team members need to feel comfortable with each other and this can be difficult to achieve. Many factors are at play when Nigerians interact with each other. Tensions are never far from the surface. These tensions could be religious (Christian vs. Muslim), tribal or even language related. Once a team has been formed and is seen to be working well together, it is probably best to leave it in place. Don't be tempted to break teams up unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Team members will work best when managed by an authoritative leader who clearly defines each team member's roles and responsibilities and gives clear, consistent instructions.

Communication

• ·      Nigeria has well over 300 ethnic groups, each of which has its own language or dialect. In such a language-diverse country, English has come to be seen as the unifying language and although the dominant indigenous languages of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are widely used they are not universally understood.
• ·      Nigerians are outgoing and friendly. Communication commences with polite inquiries into the welfare of the person and his family.
• ·      Nigerians living in the south of the country tend to speak more directly. You may also find their tone slightly louder than elsewhere. They may raise their voices even more and become emotionally excited when they feel passionately about a topic.
• ·      Nigerian communication can also be indirect and may rely on non-verbal cues. Many use gestures when communicating.
• ·      They may smile to mask their true feelings, especially when disappointed or confused. Many employ indirect eye contact to demonstrate their respect for the other person. It is common to gaze at the forehead or shoulders of someone they do not know well.
• ·      Very direct eye contact may be interpreted as being intrusive unless there is a longstanding personal relationship. 
• ·      At the same time, there are some Nigerians who are extremely direct communicators and have no difficulty stating what is on their minds. Therefore, it is a good idea to observe the situation carefully before determining what behavior is appropriate.
• ·      Handshaking is very important and it is usual to exchange long, lingering handshakes with everybody you meet. Do not be in too much of a rush to have your hand released — just relax.