REMOTEWORK — THE NAIJA VERSION OF A FAIRYTALE?

Been off the online space for a while due to some personal tragedy, but I tried not to miss too much. Over the past few days, a rather interesting event happened in one of Nigeria’s busiest cities—Lagos.

People literally had to eat, sleep, and spend the night in traffic. Yes, that kind of standstill where you start calling your car “home” and using your dashboard as a dining table. (The word I was looking for earlier—gridlock.)

As expected, this sparked a war of words online—employees vs. employers. Each group standing strong on their turf, everyone throwing shots and quoting motivational phrases.

Saw a line that said:

> “It’s not what we believe we deserve, it’s what should be. Without employees, businesses cannot thrive.”

Fair point. But as an employer, I couldn’t help but chuckle because—what exactly is an employee without a business?

But that’s not why I’m here. Let’s leave the “Twitter fight” for another day.

What really struck me was how this one incident opened a floodgate of opinions—especially on the topic of remote work.

Suddenly, there was a full-blown campaign across social media: “Employers should allow remote work,” “We’re in 2025, remote is the future,” “Office life is outdated,” and so on.

I get the sentiment, but again, it feels like many people are speaking emotionally, not factually. The truth? Not everyone understands the game of business.

Let’s talk about it.

When remote work started trending globally, it was hailed as the future of work. Articles everywhere, thought leaders on LinkedIn, and YouTube coaches all echoed the same line:

> “Nobody will have to work from the office again.”

Fast forward a few years, and even the tech giants—yes, those that led the charge—are now retracing their steps. Google, Amazon, Meta—they’re all pushing back toward hybrid work models. Remote is now a sprinkle, not the soup.

The big question is why?

Well, studies have shown that remote work success isn't in the hands of the company—it's in the discipline of the individual.

Let’s break it down:

According to a recent study by WFH Research, productivity dropped by 10% in fully remote settings compared to in-office roles.

Hybrid work, on the other hand, maintained productivity and boosted employee satisfaction. Some people rated the flexibility of hybrid work equal to a 10% salary increase.

And in our own Nigeria?

Over 55% of Nigerians lack reliable electricity.

81% of Nigerians lack access to consistent or meaningful internet connectivity.

So tell me, how exactly do you build a remote-first workforce in an environment where NEPA is playing musical chairs and mobile data is unreliable?

Let’s not forget the human side of things:

Majority of employees only get out of bed because they know they have to clock into the office. Remove that structure? Most would “log in” whenever it’s convenient—which, let’s be honest, is not a healthy reality for any serious business.

Truth is, the big businesses ruling the world today are not built on emotions. They're built on logic, systems, and sacrifice.

Some of the jobs people hold today aren’t exactly sustainable for the business—but someone at the top is absorbing the cost, hoping things turn around. Not because it’s convenient, but because they’re thinking long-term.

Imagine Einstein gave up on the 99th trial—there’d be no light today. Yet people probably told him he was wasting his time.

See, I rarely enter employee-employer debates, because emotions usually cloud sense. But once in a while, I like to drop a few thoughts and disappear.

To employees reading this—if the business were yours, what would you do differently?

Also, look around you. How many of your colleagues are really ready for the job market? Be honest.

Even with onsite jobs, we still struggle with lack of skillsets, work ethic, poor communication, and zero initiative.

Now imagine the world of remote, where no one is watching over you. No HR to call you aside. No colleague to nudge you when you’re zoning out. No second chances. Just you and your laptop—and a deadline.

No one is taking a bet on that kind of uncertainty.

And trust me, employers aren’t your enemies. Who told you they don’t like the idea of remote?

I, for one, do. But the anxiety of not being able to reach a team member when a deadline is 2 hours away? Sorry, I can’t. I’m too young for that kind of hypertension. Lol.

Yes, there are bad employers, but you can’t tell me that any business owner who truly cares about you would intentionally make decisions to harm you. That’s not how business works.

So next time another remote vs. onsite war breaks out and you’re about to fire off a hot take about “wicked employers”...

Just pause and ask yourself:

“Na so e easy reach? Why I never start my own?”

This wasn’t a peace talk.

Just thoughts from someone who’s been on both sides of the table.

Bye bye.

#contentkwin