Jobs/Appointments
How Businesses Can Focus on Employees to Avoid The Great Resignation
By Hyther Nizam
Across the globe, The Great Resignation has become a source of concern among businesses. It refers to the unprecedented number of workers quitting their jobs in the Covid-19 and post-pandemic eras.
In Nigeria, businesses have recently seen their fair share of voluntary employee resignations. Most notable was the “big quit,” an exodus of top tech talents from Nigerian Banks. Nigerian millennials and Gen Zers, who comprise a large percentage of job-hoppers, also account for the majority of the young workforce population in the country. Now, they are re-evaluating their working experiences after the hard hit of the pandemic. The Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reveals that the youngest generations in the workplace are now seeking balance, prioritising happiness, and expressing higher expectations for compensation.
With an unemployment rate of just over 33%, you may think few employed Nigerians can really afford to leave their jobs. But the truth is, even here, employers aren’t immune to The Great Resignation. Thanks to the rise of remote work, Nigerian workers (especially those with in-demand skills) can truly compete in the global job market, and not limit themselves to regional roles. They have faced many of the same pressures as other workers around the world as a result of the pandemic, meaning they have the same temptations to start their own businesses or enter the freelance market.
What can businesses do to avoid losing employees to the Great Resignation? While the answer may vary depending on industry and market, the one universally key solution is to earn employee support.
The importance of employee loyalty
Before digging into how organisations can earn employee support, it’s important to remember why it matters. Losing an employee can take a big toll on your company (with the effect magnified for smaller organisations). On average, it takes 41 days to fill a position. That’s 41 days other people in the business have to do all of a former employee’s duties in addition to their own.
Further, replacing an employee can be incredibly expensive. According to the analytics and advisory company, Gallup, it can cost one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary to replace them. Whichever way you cut it, you could give that employee a substantial salary increase and it would still be more financially viable than replacing them.
It’s also worth pointing out that there’s a positive correlation between good employee experiences and good customer experiences. That makes sense—a single positive interaction with an employee can dramatically alter how a customer perceives and experiences the company. The chances of a positive interaction taking place are much slimmer in companies that have high levels of employee turnover and a lack of institutional experience.
Building employee support
With that in mind, how should companies go about building the employee experiences they need to ensure they have the full support of their workers?
The HR team can leverage cloud technology and implement a comprehensive human resource management system (HRMS) in order to automate most of their mundane manual tasks. Through HRMS, an organisation can also create a self-service model so employees have a single portal for various activities, such as applying for leave and adding medical claims. By creating workflows, the company can ensure that when a request is raised, the appropriate approver is automatically notified. Automating processes will free up the HR team to focus on employee engagement activities.
Rethinking talent acquisition
The rise of remote work as a result of the pandemic saw many people leave big cities for smaller towns and villages. For some, the move was inspired by the prospect of a better quality of life; for others, it was about being closer to family.
Rather than lament the loss of centralised offices in big cities, smart organisations should see this as an opportunity. Instead of fighting over the same pool of talent available in metro cities, they can create opportunities for those living in non-urban centres or rural areas, and invest in skill development.
At Zoho, for instance, we have always believed that talent is everywhere, though opportunities are not. We have traditionally hired people from all backgrounds and opened offices away from city centres in order to tap under-utilised talent in smaller towns and rural areas. We expanded this approach during the pandemic by opening smaller, satellite offices wherever we had enough employees residing, instead of prompting them to come back to the office. We have been hiring locally in these satellite offices. By creating opportunities in the sought-after tech sector in non-urban and rural areas, we help communities retain talent and flourish. This adds a sense of purpose to the job, which also helps in retaining talent.
The right (virtual) environment
Even if an organisation meets its employees’ needs when it comes to working location, it’s still important for it to provide the best possible working environment (even if it’s a virtual one).
One of the most effective ways of doing this is to take a considered approach to the software solutions your employees work with on a daily basis. Rather than a patchwork of software solutions, for example, organisations can benefit from a unified enterprise software suite that meets all their needs—from documentation to meetings, to CRM. In an increasingly hybrid work environment, keeping data and processes on a unified system leads to better visibility and fosters cross-functional collaboration.
A holistic approach
Employers looking to ensure that their businesses do not fall prey to The Great Resignation need to have an understanding of the concerns Gen Z and millennial employees have with respect to the workplace and their career paths. They should be deliberate in creating a flexible working experience where the employee can thrive in a globally competitive environment.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), filling existing vacancies and strengthening the board’s capacity.
The approved nominees are Mr Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Mr Sam Azoka Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF), and Mr Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions. These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF), and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
President Tinubu encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The NCDMB is responsible for promoting and regulating local content in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It also ensures that there is capacity building and encourages investment and innovation in the industry.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A prominent fashion entrepreneur, Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, has been appointed to the board of Unilever Nigeria Plc as an independent non-executive director.
A statement from the company disclosed that the appointment became effective Monday, March 24, 2025, with expectation to tap from her wealth of experience to move the organisation forward.
Mrs Ogunlesi is a trailblazing entrepreneur, corporate leader, and changemaker whose visionary leadership has redefined Nigeria’s fashion, retail, and manufacturing industries.
As the founder and Chief Responsibility Officer of Gatimo Limited, she has built a legacy of innovation and excellence, establishing Ruff ‘n’ Tumble as a premier fashion brand celebrated for its craftsmanship, creative ingenuity, and deep-rooted commitment to African heritage.
With over three decades of transformative leadership, she has pioneered modern retail practices, garment manufacturing, and brand storytelling, positioning Nigeria on the global stage while nurturing a generation of entrepreneurs. Her work transcends business—she is a mentor, public speaker, and advocate for sustainable enterprise, women’s leadership, and ethical governance.
Mrs Ogunlesi’s leadership at Gatimo has transformed the company into Nigeria’s leading garment manufacturing powerhouse, producing over 1,500 garments daily.
Under her stewardship, the company has set new benchmarks for quality, sustainability, and African-inspired fashion, driving an industry-wide shift towards homegrown excellence.
As the founding president of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW), she established a groundbreaking platform that empowers women entrepreneurs through mentorship, funding access, and advocacy, creating pathways for female-led enterprises to flourish.
Her influence extends beyond fashion, serving on the boards of Lafarge Holcim Plc, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) at Lagos Business School, WISCAR (Women in Successful Careers), and Garment and Accessories Manufacturers of Nigeria (GAMAN).
Through these roles, she drives policy advocacy, ethical governance, and industrial development, shaping Nigeria’s business landscape for sustainable growth.
Mrs Ogunlesi is a sought-after keynote speaker and thought leader, inspiring audiences with her profound insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the future of African industries.
She is a certified Family and Life Systems Coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Coach, equipping individuals and businesses with tools for transformative success.
Her educational journey spans globally renowned institutions, including IE Business School, Lagos Business School, and Gordon Institute of Business Science, where she honed her expertise in corporate governance, strategic leadership, and retail management.
By Dipo Olowookere
Following the retirement of Mrs Oluwatomi Somefun from Unity Bank Plc after the completion of her tenure as the chief executive, the board of the financial institution has appointed Mr Ebenezer Kolawole, as her replacement in an acting capacity.
The appointment of Mr Kolawole was announced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the lender in Lagos on Wednesday.
He will lead the company armed with more than 30 years of industry experience.
The bank has already obtained the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to have the appointee take over the position.
He has the primary responsibility to finalise the company’s ongoing corporate programmes and other strategic business initiatives of the institution.
Mr Kolawole joined Unity Bank in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and became the Executive Director for Finance, Operations and Information Technology in February 2018.
While on the board of Unity Bank, he helped in the company’s strategic transformation and cost optimization initiatives, which enhanced the firm’s performance and market feasibility.
The acting CEO began his financial services career at Caribbean Finance Limited (an affiliate of CFL in Cayman Island) in Kaduna in 1992, and later joined Ecobank, rising to the position of Deputy Financial Controller after working in various departments of the bank, both operations and finance suites.
He later moved to Standard Trust Bank (STB) and worked at various strategic areas, including operations, regulatory risk management and finance suites and played a pivotal role in the STB/UBA merger and served as the CFO of the new entity, UBA.
Mr Kolawole, thereafter, worked at Mainstreet Bank as CFO and then moved to Globacom, a telecommunication company owned by Mr Mike Adenuga.
He is a member of several professional bodies, including: Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration, (FICA), Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB), Associate Member of The Nigeria Institute of Management (AMNIM); Member of the Institute of Directors etc.
Mr Kolawole graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife with a holds a First-Class (Hons) degree in Accounting.
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