In the world of work today, many organisations are beginning to sound like that lizard—proud of their dexterity, but often blind to the height from which they leap. As Nigeria’s employment landscape continues to evolve, especially under the influence of gig work, organisations are increasingly confronted with a pressing strategic question: Should we rent talent or own it?
“Strategic HR leaders must identify which capabilities should reside permanently within the organisation and which can be sourced on-demand.”
The question strikes at the heart of a global shift in how organisations view their people—not just as human capital, but as flexible assets. In Nigeria, where labour informality is already widespread, this choice carries significant implications for productivity, competitiveness, and corporate culture.
Renting talent: The allure of the Gig Model
The rise of freelance platforms and short-term contracting has made renting talent more attractive than ever. It allows companies to scale up or down rapidly, respond to project demands without long-term liabilities, and access global pools of skill at a fraction of the traditional cost.
Across Lagos, Abuja, and even emerging digital clusters in cities like Ibadan and Kaduna, startups and midsized firms now rely on freelance developers, content creators, UI/UX designers, and virtual assistants who deliver work remotely—often without ever stepping into a physical office. For these employers, renting labour appears to be leaner, faster, and more efficient.
Even large organisations are experimenting. Some banks now engage contract marketers and outsourced sales teams who operate under aggressive short-term targets but without full employment benefits. For them, talent has become a service, not a fixture.
But what’s often overlooked is that renting labour creates a workforce with little attachment to the organisation’s vision. Loyalty is transactional. Institutional memory is minimal. And when the best of that rented talent walks away, they take their value with them.
“The lizard that jumps from the high Iroko tree to the ground said it would praise itself if no one else did.” — Igbo Proverb
Owning talent: Building for the long haul
To own your workforce is to invest in it—recruit strategically, train deliberately, mentor consistently, and build a culture that binds employees to purpose, not just pay. This approach is slower, more capital-intensive, and sometimes less flexible. But it yields a different kind of value.
Organisations that commit to talent ownership develop bench strength, leadership pipelines, and long-term capabilities that cannot be bought overnight. Their employees embody institutional knowledge, internalise customer nuances, and often drive innovation from within.
In Nigeria’s banking and telecom sectors, firms that have invested in building strong internal talent ecosystems—backed by in-house academies and mentorship frameworks—tend to navigate transitions more successfully. Even in family-owned manufacturing businesses, the few that have endured across generations have done so by deliberately cultivating internal capacity rather than cycling through contractors.
Talent ownership also improves employer brand equity. In a digital world where reputation is currency, being known as an employer who develops people—not just extracts from them—has tangible value.
Read also: Beyond tools: Why talent still drives the future of work
The real cost of a rented workforce
Beyond operational efficiency, the real cost of relying too heavily on contract talent lies in cultural erosion. A rotating door of workers inhibits shared identity. Performance management becomes fragmented. Team cohesion weakens.
There is also a regulatory blind spot. While gig work enables cost savings by bypassing statutory obligations, this exposes firms to compliance risks, particularly as Nigerian labour laws begin to evolve in response to global trends. The International Labour Organisation has already flagged precarious gig conditions as an area of concern, and Nigeria is unlikely to lag indefinitely in reviewing its framework.
Perhaps more importantly, the rented model limits succession planning. You cannot pass the baton if no one stays on the track.
A hybrid model: Balancing flexibility with continuity
To be clear, this is not an argument against gig work. Flexibility is a virtue, especially in today’s volatile economy. But the question for every employer should be: what roles are core to our value creation—and which ones can be project-based?
Strategic HR leaders must identify which capabilities should reside permanently within the organisation and which can be sourced on-demand. Ownership should be reserved for positions that involve strategic thinking, long-term client relationships, compliance risk, or innovation. Rental can support speed, experimentation, and overflow capacity—but it must be managed deliberately, not by default.
Technology also has a role to play. Platforms that track gig performance, assess reliability, and integrate freelancers into internal teams can bridge the ownership gap. But digital solutions are no substitute for culture.
Where do we go from here?
The proverb of the lizard reminds us that survival is not enough. Recognition matters. Stability matters. Long-term value matters. If all we do is leap from project to project—celebrating short-term agility without building long-term competence—we may find that we’ve landed safely but gained little.
For Nigeria’s employers, the future lies not in choosing between renting or owning but in mastering the balance. As we embrace the gig economy, we must not lose sight of the enduring importance of investing in people, building loyalty, and transmitting institutional values.
Talent is not just a transaction. It is a relationship. And like all good relationships, it requires commitment to grow.
Dr Olufemi Ogunlowo is CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited and writes on workforce innovation, performance strategy, and labour transformation for BusinessDay.
