Work from Home Setup - Nigeria Edition

The five areas or frameworks to focus on when creating — or optimizing — your work from home setup for someone based in Nigeria - V1.0

Mar 27, 2023

The worst thing you can do as a Nigerian is to search online for information to help you in decision-making; your options are North-America-based blogs (not ordinarily bad in themselves) or just outright dumb suggestions from Nigerian-based websites designed to draw traffic by using keywords with no substance.

There are several thousands of Nigerians working from home not only as a result of post covid landscape but because we have a vibrant tech ecosystem, so it was super shocking to me that I could not find a comprehensive practical guide for someone looking to work from home - here’s what to buy, what to think about, what to avoid—nothing on youtube, medium or Twitter.

Sam | samlogic.eth @samlogic_

One of the biggest cultural problems in Nigeria today is that every one makes the same mistakes, as such there is no real growth. We really need to start sharing more.

So without much ado, here’s what I have learned over the last nine months trying to build a WFH setup as a first-timer.

First some context

I am new to working from home, so going into this, I was aiming to recreate - and better the office setup I have been used to and adopt the best practices I found for an ideal WFH situation.
I am not an expert in ergonomics, tech, or WFH matters. I wrote this to generate dialogue and feedback that leads to growth, so critique it, share links and help improve our overall productivity.
Take your time, create a spreadsheet, and budget to get it done; the journey matters.

While it doesn’t need repeating, Working from home is very different from working in an office. There are no birthday cakes, food from all the guys toasting babes, or catching those two lovebirds hitting it. While work is the same, the work environment is fundamentally different. Therefore, working from home would be best if you had a different mindset and thought process.

Here’s what I have learned so far in helping to build a setup that works.

Location

The three most important words in working from home are location! Location! Location! While I understand you’re not necessarily in control of how the house was built, your workspace impacts how well you work. If your home office setup is undefined, unattractive, and uncomfortable, it’s hard to be productive.

You are looking for somewhere in your flat that is relatively quiet(don’t forget gen noise) and has enough space for a comfortable setup; Seriously, don’t work from ‘anywhere.’ Getting into a routine and having a predefined workspace is how right-thinking human beings behave.

As a working professional, you want a warm, inviting space that you can be proud of. Impressions matter, whether it’s how you dress or your zoom setup.

Now that we have the perfect location, There are five areas or frameworks to focus on when creating — or optimizing — your home setup: Comfort, Climate, Creation, Concentration, and Creativity.

COMFORT - here, you’re focused on all things ergonomics

What is non-negotiable here is a desk and a comfortable seat. Eight hours a day working means we spend about four months per year sitting at a desk. Therefore, getting a great(yes, costing an arm & a leg type of) chair & desk is a wise investment.

Here are the comfort essentials;

An ergonomic chair with proper lumbar support and armrests( I got one from these guys)
One thing I should say about chairs is that you will probably not get the perfect one from the get-go; the most important thing is to keep looking for one that works for you based on the pre-identified criteria, and you’re better off going in-store to test the chairs after watching hours of youtube videos.
Look, the tech industry hacked something with standing desks, and I wish they would become the norm everywhere. I also got mine from Piper Furniture.
A height-adjustable desk has health benefits, but it’s refreshing to take calls or do work standing as someone who prefers thinking on my feet.
A laptop stand.
It would help if you tried out the WFH tool from Herman Miller.

CLIMATE - here, you’re thinking about lighting and temperature

Abraham Lincoln¹ once said that an adequate amount of light improves mood and energy levels, while poor lighting contributes to depression and productivity loss

You want to be sure you have the proper lighting setup to ensure two things 1) it inspires you, and 2) you look super sharp during zoom calls - remember first impressions?

You can be good to go with a ring light or a great desk lamp. I watched many Youtube videos, and they all recommended Elgato’s key air light, and I think it’s not bad overall.

Lagos is hot and humid, so you must ensure the temperature levels are cool enough to work correctly; there’s no way you can be productive with sweat dripping down your forehead - Abraham Lincoln¹.

Everyone’s financial and home situation is different, so the advice here ranges from a rechargeable fan that lasts long to an Inverter AC to manage your light costs.

Last but not least, ‘go outside and touch grass’ you need to ensure you’re spending at least one to two hours during the day under daylight, something-something research shows, and health benefits.

CREATION - This centers on what you need to do what you have to do at work

The rule of thumb here is ‘Everything should be available to me without standing’ this means when designing your WFH Setup, you want your essentials and things you need to capture and create work to be within arm's reach.

Furthermore, you want all the tools that will enhance your productivity

A second screen (a monitor) so you can easily see all your programs and applications. Parkway has monitors for every size and budget, but I do recommend getting a 4K display; I currently use a Dell 27 4K USB-C Monitor
Strong Wi-Fi(preferably fiber-to-the-home if your area has a provider, I use ipNX) will provide you with a reliable internet connection + a backup(MTN HynetFlex is excellent), and a backup to that backup because, as you know, this is Nigeria. Seriously stop using a hotspot from your phone; grow up.
Book & Pen, you can call me old school, but the feeling of writing on paper is unmatched; I like digital notepads too!
External Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech’s Mechanical keyboard and the MX Master 3S Wireless Performance Mouse are so great I wonder how I survived without them.
Webcam or similar: especially if you are going to be fully remote, it is vital that you look good on calls, as it enhances your connection to colleagues, partners, and clients; my recommendation here is the Logitech Brio or similar
Headphones & Microphones: the rule of thumb here can help you cancel out noise and sound super clear, so you don’t have to get a Shure sound station. I got the Blue Yeti, and I'm not too fond of it because it is inconsistent like a Lagos Man, so best to avoid it.

CONCENTRATION - Tune out and work in Nirvana

Lagos is Noisy; cars use horns a lot, generators are always on, and there’s a street party with music or a church with louder speakers than congregation members. So you must equip yourself with the tools to help you tune out and focus on work.

Investing in great(loud?) speakers can be an advantage; rather than listening to ill-sounding generators all day, you can utilize your Spotify subscription and control the type of sounds you hear. If you’re also a ‘in the zone and power through type of person, then I also recommend getting noise cancelling headphones, I alternate between the Apple Airpods Pro and Sony’s WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

CREATIVITY - have an inspiring work setup

Creativity is personal; everyone has different things that work for them, so don’t forget to add something that can inspire joy and relaxation in your workspace.

It may seem minor, but the little things motivate your creativity. So here it’s red bull, coke & Hennessy, and Oreos for me.

A WORD ON POWER

This is the most critical piece, but Nigeria is rugged terrain, so this is probably the most complicated point to navigate. Secondly, everyone's financial situation is different, so generic advice here is problematic.

That being said, you should aim to attain constant power during your working hours. You can achieve this in different ways; move to a 24/7 power estate, budget for a 10hr/day(working hours) diesel/fuel generator service, or use the wild wild west that is solar and inverters. Perhaps all 3, but you must open up a budget and work towards a goal that sees you having constant power and bonus points if it works without you having to think about it.

At the moment, I currently use Solynta’s Pay as you Go solar plan which is effective, especially in months when PHCN decides to go on leave.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The final recommendation is to reach out and ask questions; I have spoken to over 20 people to ask what works for them and even publicly on Twitter. While we don’t share much openly or culturally as Nigerians, I have found a high success rate if you reach out to people in private. Your goal is to ask as many people as possible and optimize for a 2% conversion rate.

Lastly, you should consider ordering directly from Amazon and leveraging Heroshe, or God is Good, to deliver for you; it might cost more. Still, you have the assurance that computer village boys won’t play you dirty.

I hope this exploration into my work-from-home setup was informative and gave you some help in finding your perfect home environment.

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