Teleworking: the landscape, attractiveness and contours in The Lagos State, Nigeria

This paper investigated the landscape, attractiveness, and contours of teleworking in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted purely qualitative techniques. The sample size was 40 participants purposively selected in 25 work organizations in both private and public sectors. Study instruments were Key Informant Interviews conducted with 20 Human Resource Practitioners and In-Depth Interviews conducted with 20 senior staff members of the selected organizations. Most organizations in Lagos were forced to adopt teleworking during or after the 2020 lockdown and its landscape in Lagos state has become wider and smoother. Study also revealed that teleworking is attractive to employees in terms of avoiding road/traffic challenges, enhances work-family balance and a viable option for individuals living with disabilities, pregnant and nursing mothers. To employers, it enhances business continuity, saves cost, and reduces concerns about disease and illnesses. The study identifies poor technological and infrastructural base, absence of labour policy framework, organizational policy, capacity building, data security issues as contours hindering effective teleworking in Lagos State. The practice of teleworking has been firmly established in Lagos State, Nigeria. Governments and Employers of labour stand to gain immensely from the adoption of teleworking if relevant social and organizational policies are made available, as well as making the operating economic and technological environments more conducive.