Nigeria, a vibrant Sub-Saharan African nation, has recently been identified as the seventh country in the region with the highest levels of employee stress. This information is based on the latest findings from the 2023 edition of Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report.
The report highlights that the stress experienced by workers worldwide has remained at an all-time high since the COVID-19 pandemic, even though other negative emotions have started to decrease. In Nigeria, it was found that **half of the workforce experiences stress**, a statistic that has been increasing by 3% each year.
Countries such as Chad, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Sierra Leone have reported even higher stress levels, reaching up to 58%. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks third in terms of regional percentages for daily stress and anger.
In Nigeria, half of the over one thousand participants surveyed reported experiencing workplace stress, with 23% recounting feelings of anger.
One participant, a 39-year-old cashier named Bolaji, shared with Gallup that his job does not allow him time for personal activities like attending church, visiting family, or travelling.
The report indicates that 70% of those unhappy with their workplace stress levels are considering leaving their current job. This sentiment is particularly strong in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest regional percentage of employees looking for or actively seeking new employment.
The report suggests that the daily experiences of employees their sense of involvement and enthusiasm are more important in reducing stress than their physical location.
It challenges leaders to consider whether poor performance in remote or hybrid work settings is due to location issues or management problems. It emphasizes that no location can compensate for poor management, and a great organizational culture cannot be created by the office alone.