- Nigeria has imposed a mandatory annual levy for organisations employing expatriate workers, requiring them to pay US$15,000 (£12,000) for a director and US$10,000 for other categories.
- The move is meant to encourage foreign companies to employ more Nigerian workers. Staff of diplomatic missions and government officials are exempt.
- President Bola Tinubu has warned that the levy should not be used to frustrate potential investors. He spoke while launching the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) handbook on Tuesday, adding that the government was expecting to improve revenue and indigenisation.
- According to him, the goal was to provide equal employment possibilities for foreigners and Nigerians. He stated, “The objective is to increase employment opportunities for qualified Nigerians in foreign companies in the country while closing wage gaps between expatriates and the Nigerian labor force.”
- The move comes as Nigeria is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, which has led to widespread hardship and anger in recent months.
