I once heard a story about a family who brought a young girl from the village to help with chores. After a while, she became disrespectful, started stealing, and began to “feel like a city girl,” as they described it. They eventually sent her back home and the family found themselves back at square one.
They tried again. This time, they hired a woman recommended by a church member. One Sunday, they returned home from service to discover she had fled with their belongings. No phone number, no address, no way to trace her. After multiple disappointments, they vowed never to hire domestic help again. With children at home and demanding schedules, they eventually had no choice but to try once more. Yet again, the new help left abruptly.
Another story involves a family who couldn’t keep a domestic worker for more than a month. They always had something to complain about, often refusing to pay salaries and the workers would leave saying, “I leave you for God.”
These stories are not unusual. In fact, they are everyday realities in Nigeria.
And they reveal a deeper truth: the domestic care industry in Nigeria urgently needs structure.
The Current Reality
Domestic work in Nigeria is essential, yet it remains largely unstructured and informal. Every day, thousands of domestic workers head into homes to cook, clean, care for children, wash clothes, and help families function. Most of these jobs are arranged through word-of-mouth without contracts, clear expectations, safety nets, or any form of verification.
There are:
1) No standardized job descriptions
2) No background checks
3) No dispute-resolution systems
4) No legal accountability
5) No protection for employers or workers
Domestic workers often do everything in the home; cooking, cleaning, childcare, errands, yet the relationship remains undefined. This creates risks on both sides: exploitation for workers, and safety concerns for employers
Why Structure Matters
1. Trust and Safety
Verified identities, background checks, and traceable systems protect both workers and employers.
2. Fairness
Clear agreements ensure expectations, salaries, working hours, and rest days are understood.
3. Professionalism
Domestic work deserves the same dignity, standards, and respect as formal employment.
4. Stability
Structure brings reliability for employers and predictable income for workers.
5. Empowerment
A structured system allows domestic workers to build careers, gain qualifications, and be treated with respect.
What the Future Could Look Like
A structured domestic care sector in Nigeria would include:
1) Verified worker databases (like what UloHelps provides)
2) Digital contracts that protect both parties
3) Ratings and reviews for accountability
4) Training programs and certification for domestic workers
5) Legal recognition of domestic work as formal employment
6) Clear policies for misconduct, rights, responsibilities, and dispute resolution
Imagine a world where domestic workers can grow through promotions, training, and certification just like any other profession.
Imagine employers having access to trusted, traceable workers reducing risk and saving time.This is not impossible. It simply requires intention, policy, and systems.
Where UloHelps Fits In
While Nigeria still lacks a formal regulatory framework, UloHelps works to fill a gap by creating a safe, verified meeting point for domestic workers and employers.
1) Employers choose from pre-vetted, professional workers
2) Workers choose households/employers where they feel safe and respected
3)Both sides benefit from transparency, structure, and reliability
For the system to truly work nationwide, it requires our collective co-operation alongside goverment policies that support fairness, accountability, training, and long-term protection.
Until then, UloHelps continues to make the process safer, simpler, and more human.
Conclusion: A Call for Dignity and Structure
Structure is not just paperwork it is respect.
When domestic work is structured, homes become safer, workers become empowered, and families thrive.
It’s time to stop seeing domestic work as informal labor and start treating it as the essential service it is.
Never feel helpless… let Ulo help.
Written by Adzo Terfaeren Eunice.