How to hire a trustworthy artisan in Nigeria: a step-by-step checklist for Lagos and beyond

A plain checklist for hiring a reliable plumber, electrician, cleaner or house help in Nigeria: ID and NIN checks, references, written scope and staged payment.

By Gikswork team · Published 6 Nov 2026 · 12 min read

Most work in Nigeria is done outside formal companies. The National Bureau of Statistics found that about 93% of employed Nigerians were in informal work in the second quarter of 2024, and 85.6% were self-employed (Nairametrics, 26 Nov 2024). That means the plumber, electrician or cleaner you hire is almost always a person, not a company with a head office you can walk into. Your own checks are what protect you.

This guide is a checklist you can follow for any job, from a ₦15,000 tap repair to a ₦600,000 rewiring.

Why do people get burnt hiring artisans in Nigeria?

The common stories are the same in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Uyo:

The artisan collects a big deposit "for materials" and stops picking calls.
The work is done badly and the artisan refuses to come back and fix it.
The price keeps rising halfway through because nothing was written down.
A house help or driver introduced by a stranger disappears with valuables.

Fraud data shows how much of this starts with persuasion rather than hacking. In 2023, social engineering, where someone talks you into sending money or details, was the top fraud method in Nigeria's banking system, with 62,901 cases and about ₦8.03 billion lost, according to the NIBSS fraud report summarised by BusinessDay (3 May 2024). Total fraud losses reported by financial institutions reached ₦52.26 billion in 2024 (Nairametrics, 26 Feb 2025). Those figures cover all bank fraud, not only artisan jobs, but the lesson holds: most losses happen because someone trusted too fast.

The step-by-step checklist for hiring a reliable artisan

Use these steps in order. Skipping one is how most bad hires happen.

Write down the job before you call anyone. What is broken or needed, where, how big, and by when. Take photos. A clear brief gets you clear quotes.
Get two or three quotes. Ask each artisan to visit or to quote from your photos. A price far below the others is a warning, not a bargain.
Ask for a real ID. National ID card, NIN slip, voter's card, driver's licence or international passport. Take a clear photo of it.
Match the name to the bank account. When you type their account number into your banking app, the app shows the account name. It should match the ID. If it is a different name, ask why before you send a kobo.
See past work. Ask for photos of at least three past jobs and, for bigger jobs, the address of one you can visit or the number of the client.
Call two past clients. Ask: did they finish on time, did the price change, did they come back for faults?
Agree the scope in writing. Even a WhatsApp message is better than nothing. List the work, materials, total price, stages and finish date.
Pay in stages. Pay for each stage after you inspect it. Never pay the full sum before work starts.
Buy materials yourself where you can, or pay the shop directly and keep the receipt.
Inspect, then pay the final part. Test everything: run the taps, switch on every socket, check the grout lines.

How do I check an artisan's ID and NIN in Nigeria?

This is where most people are unsure, so here is what is and is not possible.

What a NIN slip can and cannot prove

A printed NIN slip on its own proves very little. Fonts, layout and photos are easy to copy, and a printout cannot prove itself. Proper verification checks the NIN against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) record and matches the name, date of birth and face, with the person's consent (Youverify, 20 Sep 2026).

The same guide reports that NIMC said in July 2026 that people can download their official slip free through the NINAuth app. If a worker shows you a slip, you can ask them to open NINAuth on their own phone in front of you and show the slip there. That is harder to fake than paper.

How to verify a worker's NIN properly

Full NIN checks are done by approved verification companies, not by individuals typing a number into a website. NIMC introduced the virtual NIN for this: the ID holder generates a short token in the NIMC Mobile ID app, or by USSD in the format *346*3*their NIN*agent code#, for one named organisation. The token expires 72 hours after it is made (Youverify, 14 Dec 2022). Check current codes with NIMC, as these details change.

What this means for a homeowner:

You cannot legally or easily look up a stranger's NIN yourself. Be wary of anyone selling "NIN lookup" services on WhatsApp.
The *346# code you may have heard of is for a person to retrieve or use their own NIN from their own registered line, not for checking someone else.
The practical checks you can do yourself are: see the ID, photograph it, match the face, and match the name to the bank account.
If you want a full NIN check, use a platform or employer service that runs it through an approved channel with the worker's consent.

Why does the account name matter so much? NIBSS found that about ₦400 million in 2024 fraud proceeds moved through accounts opened with stolen identities, many in the names of older people (Nairametrics, 26 Feb 2025). A worker whose ID, face and bank account all carry the same name is much less likely to be using someone else's identity.

On Gikswork, every worker has their NIN or BVN checked before they can take a job, and the name must match the account they are paid into. That does the hardest part of this step for you.

How do I check an artisan's past work and references?

Photos are easy to download from the internet. Make them work harder:

Ask for photos taken on their own phone, with dates, from more than one angle.
Ask what the job cost and how long it took. A real artisan answers quickly.
For jobs above about ₦200,000, visit one finished site or video call the owner.
Ask the reference simple questions: "Would you hire them again? Did the price change? Did anything fail later?"

Trade proof matters too. For skilled trades like electrical work and plumbing, ask about their training: an apprenticeship "freedom" certificate, a trade test, or a letter from the master they trained under.

How should I write the scope of work?

A written scope stops the most common fight: "that one was not part of the job". Keep it short and specific.

Write this	Not this
Tile kitchen floor, 18 square metres, 60 by 60 tiles supplied by me, include skirting	Do the kitchen tiles
Replace 6 sockets and 2 switches in sitting room, run new 2.5mm cable from DB	Fix the light
Deep clean 3-bedroom flat, inside cupboards, windows inside only, by 4pm Saturday	General cleaning
Total ₦250,000, paid in 3 stages as below, finish by 20 November	Pay as we go

Send it on WhatsApp and ask the artisan to reply "agreed". Keep that chat.

How do I pay an artisan safely without a big deposit?

Staged payment protects both of you. The artisan knows money is coming, and you never have more at risk than the next stage of work.

Worked example: a ₦250,000 tiling job

Say you hire a tiler to tile a kitchen and a bathroom for ₦250,000 labour and fittings, and you buy the tiles and cement yourself.

Stage	What must be done first	You pay	Total paid
1. Mobilisation	Tiler on site, floor screeded and levelled	₦50,000	₦50,000
2. Kitchen done	Kitchen floor and wall tiles laid, you inspect	₦80,000	₦130,000
3. Bathroom done	Bathroom tiles laid, you inspect	₦80,000	₦210,000
4. Finish	Grouting, cleaning, skirting, a week with no loose tiles	₦40,000	₦250,000

At no point do you have more than ₦80,000 paid for work you have not seen. If the tiler disappears after stage 1, you lose ₦50,000, not ₦250,000.

What about materials?

Artisans often ask for "materials money" first. Safer options:

Go to the shop together and pay the shop directly.
Ask for a written list with prices, then buy it yourself.
If you must send materials money, send only what the first stage needs, and ask for the receipt the same day.

Using escrow instead of trust

Escrow means the money is set aside before work starts but is not released to the worker until the job is done. The worker can see you are serious, and you keep control until you have inspected. On Gikswork, you post a job with what you will pay, the money is held in escrow secured by EscrowPay, and it is released when the work is done. If something goes wrong, either side can raise a dispute and the Gikswork team looks at the evidence before money moves.

What extra checks do I need for a house help, nanny or driver?

Anyone who works alone inside your home needs more checking than a one-day plumber. For a housekeeper or house help or a nanny:

Guarantor form. Ask for one or two guarantors who are working adults. The form should carry the guarantor's full name, address, phone, workplace, ID number and a passport photo, plus the worker's details.
Meet the guarantor. Call them, then meet them at their home or office. A guarantor you cannot find is no guarantor.
Previous employer reference. Call the last family they worked for, not a friend.
Address check. Know where the worker lives or comes from. Visit if you can.
Check the agent. In Lagos, the Domestic Staff Service Providers (Registration) Law, 2019 requires domestic staff agencies to register, and a Lagos official said in June 2025 that it requires employers to use only registered providers, partly to stop children being trafficked into domestic work (News Agency of Nigeria, 18 Jun 2025). Ask any agent for proof of registration.
Agree pay, hours and days off in writing. Clear terms reduce resentment and disputes.
Start with a trial period. Two to four weeks, with valuables locked away.

Never hire anyone under 18 as live-in help, and never pay an agent the worker's salary in advance.

What are the red flags when hiring a worker in Nigeria?

Red flag	What to do
Asks for full payment or 70% "to start"	Offer staged payment. If they refuse, walk away.
Bank account name is different from their ID	Ask why. Pay only an account in their own name.
Price far below every other quote	Expect shortcuts or extra charges later. Ask what is not included.
No past work you can see or verify	Ask for one site visit or one client to call. No proof, no job.
Pressure: "the price will go up tomorrow"	Slow down. Real artisans can wait a day.
Will not put anything in writing	Write it yourself on WhatsApp and ask them to reply "agreed".
Only reachable on one number, no address	Ask for an address and a second contact.
Agent asks for a "registration fee" for a house help	Ask for proof the agency is registered. Pay nothing until you meet the worker.
Wants you to buy materials only from their "own" shop	Get a second price from another shop.

What should I do after the job is finished?

Test everything before the final payment.
Ask for a short warranty on workmanship, even a week or a month, written on WhatsApp.
Keep all chats, receipts and photos of before and after.
Rate the worker honestly. Good ratings help good artisans get more work, and honest ones warn the next person.

If you are a skilled worker reading this, the same checklist is how serious customers will judge you. Clear photos, a written scope and staged payment make you easier to hire. You can join as a worker free.

Quick checklist to save

Clear brief with photos.
Two or three quotes.
Real ID, photographed.
Bank account name matches the ID.
Three past jobs seen, two clients called.
Written scope with price, stages and finish date.
Staged payment, never full deposit.
Materials bought by you or paid to the shop.
Guarantor and previous employer for house staff.
Inspect before final payment, keep every receipt.

Hiring a plumber, house electrician or house cleaner does not need to feel like a gamble. A little checking at the start saves a lot of pain later.

Sources

Questions people ask

How do I find a reliable artisan in Lagos?

Start with people who have done work for someone you know, then check their ID, look at photos and addresses of past jobs, and call two past clients. Agree the work in writing and pay in stages, never the full amount up front.

Can I check a worker's NIN myself?

Not fully. A printed NIN slip is easy to copy, and proper checks against the NIMC record go through approved verification services with the person's consent, often using a virtual NIN they generate in the NIMC app. You can still compare the name on their ID with the name on their bank account.

How much deposit should I give an artisan?

Only enough to buy the materials for the first stage, and better still, buy the materials yourself or pay the shop directly. Pay for labour after you have inspected each finished stage.

Do I need a guarantor for a house help?

For anyone who will live in or work alone inside your home, a guarantor is a sensible extra layer. Meet the guarantor in person, check their own ID and address, and keep a signed copy of the form.

Should I use an agent to find a house help in Lagos?

If you use an agent, ask whether they are registered with the state. Lagos has a Domestic Staff Service Providers (Registration) Law from 2019, and a Lagos official said in 2025 that it requires employers to use only registered providers.

What is the biggest red flag when hiring a worker?

Pressure to pay a large sum quickly, especially into an account in a different name from the worker. Stop and check before you send any money.