On this planet of labor at this time, many organisations are starting to sound like that lizard—pleased with their dexterity, however usually blind to the peak from which they leap. As Nigeria’s employment panorama continues to evolve, particularly below the affect of gig work, organisations are more and more confronted with a urgent strategic query: Ought to we lease expertise or personal it?

 “Strategic HR leaders should establish which capabilities ought to reside completely inside the organisation and which may be sourced on-demand.”

The query strikes on the coronary heart of a world shift in how organisations view their folks—not simply as human capital, however as versatile belongings. In Nigeria, the place labour informality is already widespread, this selection carries vital implications for productiveness, competitiveness, and company tradition.

Renting expertise: The attract of the Gig Mannequin

The rise of freelance platforms and short-term contracting has made renting expertise extra enticing than ever. It permits corporations to scale up or down quickly, reply to undertaking calls for with out long-term liabilities, and entry world swimming pools of ability at a fraction of the standard value.

Throughout Lagos, Abuja, and even rising digital clusters in cities like Ibadan and Kaduna, startups and midsized corporations now depend on freelance builders, content material creators, UI/UX designers, and digital assistants who ship work remotely—usually with out ever stepping right into a bodily workplace. For these employers, renting labour seems to be leaner, sooner, and extra environment friendly.

Even massive organisations are experimenting. Some banks now have interaction contract entrepreneurs and outsourced gross sales groups who function below aggressive short-term targets however with out full employment advantages. For them, expertise has change into a service, not a fixture.

However what’s usually ignored is that renting labour creates a workforce with little attachment to the organisation’s imaginative and prescient. Loyalty is transactional. Institutional reminiscence is minimal. And when the most effective of that rented expertise walks away, they take their worth with them.

“The lizard that jumps from the excessive Iroko tree to the bottom stated it might reward itself if nobody else did.” — Igbo Proverb

Proudly owning expertise: Constructing for the lengthy haul

To personal your workforce is to spend money on it—recruit strategically, practice intentionally, mentor constantly, and construct a tradition that binds workers to objective, not simply pay. This strategy is slower, extra capital-intensive, and typically much less versatile. Nevertheless it yields a distinct form of worth.

Organisations that decide to expertise possession develop bench power, management pipelines, and long-term capabilities that can’t be purchased in a single day. Their workers embody institutional information, internalise buyer nuances, and sometimes drive innovation from inside.

In Nigeria’s banking and telecom sectors, corporations which have invested in constructing robust inner expertise ecosystems—backed by in-house academies and mentorship frameworks—are inclined to navigate transitions extra efficiently. Even in family-owned manufacturing companies, the few which have endured throughout generations have finished so by intentionally cultivating inner capability moderately than biking by way of contractors.

Expertise possession additionally improves employer model fairness. In a digital world the place status is foreign money, being referred to as an employer who develops folks—not simply extracts from them—has tangible worth.

Learn additionally: Past instruments: Why expertise nonetheless drives the way forward for work

The true value of a rented workforce

Past operational effectivity, the actual value of relying too closely on contract expertise lies in cultural erosion. A rotating door of employees inhibits shared identification. Efficiency administration turns into fragmented. Staff cohesion weakens.

There may be additionally a regulatory blind spot. Whereas gig work permits value financial savings by bypassing statutory obligations, this exposes corporations to compliance dangers, significantly as Nigerian labour legal guidelines start to evolve in response to world traits. The Worldwide Labour Organisation has already flagged precarious gig situations as an space of concern, and Nigeria is unlikely to lag indefinitely in reviewing its framework.

Maybe extra importantly, the rented mannequin limits succession planning. You can not cross the baton if nobody stays on the monitor.

A hybrid mannequin: Balancing flexibility with continuity

To be clear, this isn’t an argument towards gig work. Flexibility is a advantage, particularly in at this time’s unstable financial system. However the query for each employer must be: what roles are core to our price creation—and which of them may be project-based?

Strategic HR leaders should establish which capabilities ought to reside completely inside the organisation and which may be sourced on-demand. Possession must be reserved for positions that contain strategic pondering, long-term shopper relationships, compliance danger, or innovation. Rental can assist velocity, experimentation, and overflow capability—however it have to be managed intentionally, not by default.

Know-how additionally has a task to play. Platforms that monitor gig efficiency, assess reliability, and combine freelancers into inner groups can bridge the possession hole. However digital options aren’t any substitute for tradition.

The place can we go from right here?

The proverb of the lizard reminds us that survival will not be sufficient. Recognition issues. Stability issues. Lengthy-term worth issues. If all we do is leap from undertaking to undertaking—celebrating short-term agility with out constructing long-term competence—we could discover that we’ve landed safely however gained little.

For Nigeria’s employers, the longer term lies not in selecting between renting or proudly owning however in mastering the stability. As we embrace the gig financial system, we should not lose sight of the enduring significance of investing in folks, constructing loyalty, and transmitting institutional values.

Expertise is not only a transaction. It’s a relationship. And like all good relationships, it requires dedication to develop.

Dr Olufemi Ogunlowo is CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Restricted and writes on workforce innovation, efficiency technique, and labour transformation for BusinessDay.