Relocating employees to Nigeria

What makes Nigeria postings difficult to plan

Housing is not a booking, it is a search

Short-stay accommodation can usually be held while a longer search runs, but the long-stay decision depends on the employer address, the family situation and the lease terms. GVSS scopes the short stay and the search as separate pieces of work so the temporary option does not quietly become the permanent one.

Distances mislead

A short distance on a map can be a long journey at peak times. The workable home and workplace pairing is an operational decision, not a preference, and it is easier to make before a family has committed to a neighbourhood.

School admission runs to its own calendar

For assignees with school-age children, the admission timetable can be the binding constraint on a move date. GVSS can research options and map the journey from a shortlisted school to a shortlisted neighbourhood, but admission decisions rest with each school.

One legal entity, several operating brands

GVSS Global Mobility, Leadwood Homes and Leadwood Furniture are divisions of G & V Support Services Limited. Enquiries land with one team and are routed internally, so a mobility client is not treated as three separate suppliers.

Information GVSS needs to begin

Destination and start date

City, property, and the date the assignee lands.

Employer address and working pattern

The site or office the assignee reports to, and whether they travel between sites.

Assignment duration

Fixed term or open ended. This changes the short-stay versus tenancy decision.

Household composition

Whether the assignee travels alone or with a partner and children, and any school ages.

Services required

Which of arrival assistance, temporary accommodation, home search, orientation, school support, transport and settling-in are in scope.

Budget parameters

Any accommodation ceiling, cost approval threshold or procurement rule that applies.

Approximate headcount and timing

How many assignees are expected, and over what period. This affects how scoping is sequenced.

Scope note. Not in scope: GVSS does not need immigration, tax or payroll documentation to begin scoping destination services. Those documents sit with your advisers and with the assignee.

How an assignment is worked

Scope and confirm

GVSS reads the brief, confirms which services are in scope and which are out, and puts the agreed scope and cost in writing before any booking is made.

Arrival planning

Flight and passenger details are exchanged so a meeting plan can be agreed before landing. Airport and terminal availability is reviewed for that specific request and confirmed in writing. GVSS does not hold airside access and does not handle immigration formalities.

Temporary accommodation

A residence is held to bridge the gap between arrival and a longer decision. Leadwood Homes residences are based in Lagos; accommodation for other cities is scoped per request.

Home search

Options are presented against the brief and, where a family is involved, against the school and journey picture. GVSS coordinates viewings and the tenancy process with the property manager or agent.

Orientation and settling-in

Practical orientation on neighbourhoods, day-to-day services and how things are arranged locally, followed by settling-in tasks such as utility connections and furnishing.

Departure

Move-out scheduling, a condition walk-through, meter readings and account closure, plus outbound transport where requested. Any deposit return follows the tenancy terms and the property manager, not a GVSS commitment.

Employee and family support scope

Orientation

Neighbourhood orientation, how day-to-day services work locally, and what to expect in the first weeks. Orientation is scoped to the city and the neighbourhood shortlist, not to the whole country.

School-search assistance

Researching options, comparing curriculum offerings and analysing the journey between a shortlisted school and a candidate neighbourhood. GVSS does not rate schools and cannot guarantee a place; admission is decided by each school.

Settling-in coordination

Utility connections, furnishings through Leadwood Furniture, and introductions to the services an assignee actually needs rather than a generic orientation pack.

Transport

Corporate vehicle rental and chauffeured transport, including airport transfers. Vehicle and driver availability are confirmed per booking.

Scope note. Not in scope: GVSS support is operational and administrative. GVSS does not provide immigration, visa, legal, tax or payroll advice, does not act as a school placement agent, and does not provide counselling or clinical support.

Communication and reporting approach

Direct channel

Enquiries are handled by the Global Mobility team and answered during Nigerian business hours, rather than through an automated ticket queue.

Milestone updates

Written updates against the milestones agreed at scoping, including anything that has slipped and why.

Decision points surfaced early

GVSS raises a decision when it needs one rather than holding it until a deadline.

Cost visibility

Costs are quoted per request. Changes to scope are identified before they are incurred where that is possible.

Escalation path

Enquiries are handled by the Global Mobility team during Nigerian business hours and escalated to the parent company if they need a different owner. Escalation is by direct contact, not through a support ticket system.

Scope note. Not in scope: GVSS does not offer service level agreements, guaranteed response times or round-the-clock operation, and will not accept contractual commitments that are not operationally supported.

What GVSS coordinates and what your advisers own

Owned by your immigration adviser

Visa and permit applications, work authorisation, residence permits and any representation before Nigerian authorities. GVSS does not process these and does not have immigration privileges.

Owned by your tax or payroll adviser

Tax residency questions, payroll registration and withholding, and statutory filing. GVSS does not advise on these.

Owned by your legal adviser

Employment contract review, tenancy contract review, and any dispute. GVSS coordinates the process and introduces a local adviser where you need one, but does not provide legal advice.

Coordinated by GVSS

Destination services in Nigeria: arrival assistance enquiry and confirmation, temporary accommodation, home search, orientation, school-search assistance, settling-in coordination, transport and departure support.

Scope note. Not in scope: GVSS is not an immigration authority, an airport authority, an airline, a law firm or a financial adviser, and GVSS does not hold airside, tarmac or gate access.

City coverage

Lagos

The base for Leadwood Homes residences and the largest volume of assignments. Home search, short-stay housing and furniture services are established here.

Abuja

Commonly the destination for government, diplomatic, institutional and project roles. Accommodation and transport are scoped per request.

Port Harcourt

Most often project-based and rotational. Housing and transport are scoped per request, and lead time is usually driven by a mobilisation date.

Assignment profiles GVSS is set up for

Corporate office or project assignment

An employee moving to a defined role and location, with a start date and an employer address to plan against. This is the clearest fit.

Family-accompanied assignment

Where the partner and children travel too. Requires housing, school-search and orientation scope as well as the move itself.

Rotational or fixed-term posting

Where the end date is known in advance. Accommodation can be scoped to that window instead of committing to a tenancy.

Small numbers of assignees

One or a few people at a time. Worth discussing, because per-assignment scoping has a fixed cost that only makes sense at a certain volume.

Scope note. Not in scope: where an assignment requires GVSS to act as an immigration adviser, a school placement agent or a registered employment provider, GVSS will decline the part of the work it cannot properly perform.