‘Any other country but Nigeria’ — Ibis Ikeja hotel owner reveals why he rarely hires Nigerians as managers

• Ibis Ikeja Hotel owner Femi Okenla says he prefers expatriates to Nigerians for senior management roles.

• He cited concerns about work ethic and trust, sharing an experience that shaped his hiring decisions.

• His comments have added to ongoing debates about Nigeria's workforce and employer expectations.

The owner of Ibis Ikeja Hotel, Femi Okenla, has sparked debate after openly stating that he prefers to hire expatriates over Nigerians to head operations at his hotel, claiming their work ethic is far superior.

Okenla made the comments on an episode of The Builders podcast, where he also discussed how a $2 million forex loss and bank delays nearly collapsed his business.

"I tend to employ expatriates to head our operations, especially critical operations," he said. "For me, the working ethos of expatriates is much better. Whether Egyptian, any other country but Nigeria."

When the interviewer pointed out that Nigerians are considered one of the hardest-working communities in England, Okenla said he did not understand the contrast either, before going further to explain his reluctance with a specific example.

"If you employ a Nigerian general manager, don't be surprised they'll create a cartel," he said.

He narrated an incident where he sat on an interview panel for a financial controller position. The candidate, who had worked at a major Lagos hotel under a Nigerian general manager, revealed that the manager had been paying him between two and three million naira monthly in unexplained cash, which he suspected was a kickback.

"For that kind of money to go out without anyone noticing, there must have been some type of collusion," Okenla said, adding that the story reinforced his preference for expatriate leadership.

He noted that just four months ago, he hired a Nigerian general manager for the first time, marking a departure from his usual practice.

Okenla's comments add to a growing national debate about Nigeria's workforce, though his angle centres on trust rather than skill.

Earlier this year, Moniepoint CEO Tosin Eniolorunda raised concerns about a widening talent gap, revealing that the company was struggling to fill approximately 500 vacancies due to a shortage of candidates who met its global standards. His comments drew significant backlash and a response from Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Okenla's position takes the conversation in a different direction, suggesting that for some employers, the issue is not what Nigerians can do, but whether they can be trusted to do it without compromising the business.

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