A new report by Zoho, a global technology company, has revealed that only 14% of Nigerian businesses currently operate fully remotely. The study, titled “The State of Productivity and Collaboration in Nigeria, 2024,” surveyed over 500 organisations with more than 50 employees, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses in the evolving work environment.
The report found that 55% of Nigerian businesses still operate on a fully on-site model, while 31% have adopted hybrid work setups. It highlighted that remote roles are typically filled by individual contributors who require minimal collaboration, whereas hybrid workers often struggle with communication barriers.
One of the major challenges identified in the report is the overload of apps used in Nigerian workplaces. It was found that 51% of employees use between 1 and 5 apps daily, 35% use 6 to 10 apps, and 14% rely on more than 10 apps. Senior executives are the heaviest app users, with 81% of C-suite employees using over 10 apps daily, compared to just 72% of junior employees who use 1–5 apps. Despite the high app usage, only half of the respondents track their tasks in a unified view, which is higher among senior leadership.

The study also highlighted significant connectivity challenges, with poor WiFi and data issues affecting 80% of respondents, making it harder to collaborate effectively. Digital fatigue, reported by 54% of respondents, and communication difficulties for middle managers in hybrid or remote roles, were also key concerns.
To improve productivity, respondents suggested adopting unified platforms that provide quick access to information across various apps (78%) and integrating AI technologies (72%). Zoho’s Country Head in Nigeria, Kehinde Ogundare, noted that Nigerian businesses are increasingly recognising the inefficiencies caused by disconnected tools and the need for better-integrated solutions to streamline workflows and reduce digital fatigue.
On the economic front, 51% of businesses said they had adopted new technologies to stay competitive, and those that had done so were more optimistic about handling competition. However, 46% of respondents cited slow adoption of AI as the biggest barrier to competitiveness, followed by low digital tool adoption and employees switching between too many apps.