Nigeria CV and resume guidance

A modern Nigerian CV is usually two A4 pages, in reverse chronological order, with contact details, a short professional summary, work experience with achievements, education, certifications, skills and referees. Older Nigerian CVs often opened with a full page of personal data; many employers, especially in banking, consulting, tech and multinationals, now prefer a shorter, focused document.

A common structure:

• Name, phone, email, city and state, LinkedIn.
• Professional summary: three or four lines.
• Work experience, most recent first, with results.
• Education, including tertiary qualifications and O'level summary.
• Professional certifications and memberships.
• Skills and languages.
• Referees, or a note that they are available.

Use British spelling and a clean single-column layout. Tailor the summary and top bullets to each job.

Two pages is usual for experienced applicants, and one page often works well for fresh graduates and corps members. Recruiters in Nigeria can receive a very large number of CVs per vacancy, so a short, focused CV is easier to read.

A rough guide:

• Fresh graduates and NYSC members: one page, two at most.
• Mid-level professionals: two pages.
• Senior managers: two to three pages.
• Academic posts: a fuller academic CV with publications.

If yours is longer, remove primary school details, long personal data sections, duties you repeat in each job and roles from many years ago that do not relate to the job.

Usually not. Many older Nigerian CV templates include state of origin, local government area, religion and marital status, but most employers do not need these details to judge your skills. Leaving them off makes your CV shorter and keeps the focus on your experience.

Details many applicants now leave off:

• State of origin and LGA.
• Religion.
• Marital status and number of children.
• Date of birth, unless the job ad asks.

If an employer's application form or ad specifically asks for one of these, provide it there. Some public sector and other employers do request them, so read each ad carefully.

Many applicants mention NYSC because many Nigerian employers ask about it for graduate roles. List your service year as experience with your place of primary assignment, and add a short line on your status, such as "NYSC completed, 2025" or "Currently serving, Batch B, 2026".

Example:
"Corps Member, Accounts Department, Kano State Ministry of Finance (NYSC), 2024–2025

• Prepared payment vouchers and maintained the expenditure register.
• Led a community development project teaching basic computer skills to 60 secondary students."

If you have an exemption or exclusion, write it accurately as stated on your documents. Requirements around NYSC certificates differ between employers, so check the employer's instructions and the official NYSC body for anything you are unsure of.

Give a one-line summary of your O'level results with the exam, year and number of credits, and mention English and Mathematics if the job asks for them. Many Nigerian job ads ask for "five credits including English and Mathematics", so make this easy to find.

Examples:

• "WASSCE, 2018: 7 credits including English Language and Mathematics"
• "NECO SSCE, 2017: 6 credits including English and Mathematics"

You do not need to list each subject and grade unless the ad asks. Once you have a degree and work experience, keep this to one line at the end of your education section. Leave out your First School Leaving Certificate.

Leave your primary school off, and keep secondary school to one line with your O'level results. Many older Nigerian CVs list every school from primary upwards, which takes space without helping a recruiter.

What to include in education:

• Postgraduate qualifications, if any.
• First degree or HND, with institution, course, class and year.
• One line for secondary school results.

Example:
"BSc Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, 2021
WASSCE, Federal Government College, 2016: 8 credits including English and Mathematics"

Put the most recent and highest qualification first.

Write the full title, institution, course, grade and year, exactly as on your certificate. HND and OND holders in Nigeria often apply for the same roles as degree holders, so present it clearly and confidently.

Examples:

• "Higher National Diploma (HND), Accountancy, Yaba College of Technology, 2022: Upper Credit"
• "Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Computer Science, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, 2019"

If you completed both OND and HND, list the HND first. If a job ad asks for "BSc/HND", your HND meets the stated requirement, so make sure it is easy to find. Add any professional certification you hold right after it.

List it under experience with the organisation, department, dates and what you did. For fresh graduates, SIWES or industrial training is often the most relevant workplace experience on the CV.

Example:
"Industrial Trainee (SIWES), Engineering Department, Lagos Water Corporation, 2020 (6 months)

• Assisted engineers with pump station inspections and maintenance logs.
• Drew updated pipe layout sketches using AutoCAD."

Use real tasks and tools, not just "learned a lot". If you did more than one placement, list them separately. Keep each to two or three bullets.

For most private sector jobs, a photo on the CV is not needed, and many recruiters prefer CVs without one. Some Nigerian employers, particularly in public service or for certain forms, ask applicants to attach passport photographs separately.

Practical advice:

• Leave the photo off your CV unless the ad asks.
• If a photo is requested, send a recent passport photograph as a separate file or attach it to the form as instructed.
• Keep the CV itself text-based so applicant tracking systems can read it.

A clear professional photo on your LinkedIn profile can show recruiters who you are without changing your CV.

No. Your NIN, BVN, bank account number and similar identifiers do not belong on a CV. CVs are shared on email, job sites and messaging apps, and these numbers could be misused if your CV reaches the wrong person.

Practical advice:

• Keep identity and bank numbers off your CV.
• Provide them only during formal onboarding with a verified employer.
• Be cautious of job ads that ask for these numbers before any interview, and check the employer is genuine.

Your CV needs only your name, phone, email, location and professional details.

Add a "Professional Certifications" or "Memberships" section near the top, and put full designation letters after your name if you hold them. Many Nigerian employers in finance, banking and engineering check these early.

Examples:

• "Adaeze Okafor, ACA"
• "Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (ACIB)"
• "COREN registered engineer, registration number as issued"
• "ICAN Professional examinations: Skills level passed, 2025"

Write only what you hold, and show progress honestly. If your role or field requires a licence or registration, list it with its number and expiry date as required by the regulator, and confirm the right wording with the professional body.

Two or three referees are common, ideally a recent manager, a supervisor and, for graduates, a lecturer or NYSC supervisor. Many Nigerian employers contact referees, and some ask for written reference letters before an offer.

For each referee include:

• Name and title.
• Organisation.
• Relationship to you.
• Phone and email.

Example: "Dr Ibrahim Musa, Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University (my project supervisor), 0803 000 0000"

Ask permission first and avoid family members. If you write "Referees available on request", keep a ready list to send quickly.

Write your phone number as "0803 123 4567" for local applications or "+234 803 123 4567" for international employers, and use a simple professional email based on your name. Recruiters often call first, so give a number you answer.

Tips:

• One or two numbers at most, clearly labelled.
• Avoid nicknames in email addresses; use something like "chinedu.eze@example.com".
• Check that your WhatsApp number matches if you use it for job contact.
• Add your city and state, such as "Ikeja, Lagos".

Test your email address by sending yourself a message before you apply.

Do not change your age or dates, and keep your date of birth off your CV unless the ad asks for it. Some Nigerian job ads, especially graduate trainee programmes, mention age limits. If an employer asks for your date of birth on a form, answer it truthfully.

Practical tips:

• Focus your CV on skills and achievements.
• Use correct graduation and employment dates; employers may verify them.
• If you are above a stated limit, consider whether the ad is strict and apply to roles that suit your experience.

Policies differ between employers. If you have questions about whether an age requirement is allowed, check with the relevant official body rather than relying on CV advice.

Keep it to one or two pages, highlight your qualifications, NYSC, SIWES and leadership, and show skills that suit the programme. Many banks, oil and gas firms, FMCG companies and consultancies run graduate trainee programmes with online applications and aptitude tests.

Include:

• Degree, class and year.
• O'level summary.
• NYSC status.
• SIWES, internships and part-time work.
• Leadership in student associations or community work.
• Skills: Excel, data tools, languages, coding.

Example bullet: "Financial Secretary, Economics Students' Association, managing a budget for four events in a session."

Fill online forms carefully, matching your CV exactly.

A professional summary usually works better than a long career objective. Many Nigerian CVs open with "To work in a challenging environment where my skills will be utilised", which recruiters see constantly and which says nothing about you.

Better approach:

• Three or four lines about your field, experience, strengths and target role.
• For fresh graduates, a one- or two-line objective naming the role.

Example summary: "Customer service officer with four years in retail banking in Abuja. Skilled in resolving account issues, cross-selling and team coaching. Seeking a branch supervisor role."

Example objective: "Chemical engineering graduate seeking a process trainee role in the oil and gas sector."

Yes, if they are relevant to the job, with an honest level. Many Nigerian employers value language skills for customer service, sales, field work, healthcare and community roles, especially outside Lagos and Abuja.

Example:

• "English: fluent"
• "Hausa: native"
• "Yoruba: conversational"
• "French: intermediate"

If a job involves working in a specific region, make the relevant language easy to find. Give an example in your experience, such as serving customers or training staff in their language.

Use a clear subject line with the job title and reference, a short message and your CV as a PDF. Many Nigerian job ads ask applicants to send CVs to an email address and say to use the job title as the subject.

Tips:

• Subject: exactly as the ad asks, for example "Sales Executive – Port Harcourt".
• Message: who you are, the role, one sentence on why you fit.
• Attach a text-based PDF named "Ngozi-Adeyemi-CV.pdf".
• Attach other documents only if requested.
• Use a professional email address.

Read the ad carefully; applications that ignore instructions can be filtered out.

Yes, if the employer or recruiter asks you to, but send a proper PDF and a short professional message. Many Nigerian recruiters share jobs on WhatsApp and some accept CVs there, but treat it as formally as email.

Tips:

• Send a PDF, not photos of printed pages.
• Name the file with your name: "Tunde-Bello-CV.pdf".
• Introduce yourself and name the role in one or two lines.
• Avoid voice notes unless asked.
• Use a professional profile picture and name.

Be careful about sharing your CV in large groups; it contains your contact details. Check that the recruiter is genuine.

Be very cautious. Genuine employers generally do not ask applicants to pay to submit a CV, get an interview or receive an offer, and fake recruitment adverts are a common problem for job seekers in Nigeria.

Warning signs:

• Requests for payment for forms, medical tests or training before any interview.
• Email addresses from free providers for a supposed large company.
• Pressure to pay quickly.
• Requests for your BVN, bank details or identity documents early.

Check the company's official website or official social media for the vacancy. If in doubt, do not pay and report suspicious adverts to the relevant authorities.

Add a short, honest line with the dates and what you did, such as courses, volunteering or small business work. Many Nigerian graduates have a wait between school and service or after service, and employers understand this when it is explained.

Examples:

• "Awaiting NYSC mobilisation; completed online data analysis course, 2024"
• "Freelance graphic design for small businesses in Enugu, 2023–2024"
• "Volunteer teacher, community school, 2023"

List any work, even informal, with what you achieved. Focus on skills that relate to the job you want.

Present your foreign qualifications and experience clearly, give a return or start date and show your connection to the Nigerian market. Returning professionals often bring valuable skills, and employers want to know you will adapt and stay.

Tips:

• Location: "Currently in Manchester, UK; relocating to Lagos, January 2027".
• Write qualifications under their original titles and countries.
• Explain unfamiliar employers briefly.
• Mention Nigerian roles, SIWES or NYSC if you have them.
• Use +234 and international numbers clearly.

Example summary: "Data analyst with an MSc from the UK and three years in retail analytics, returning to Lagos to work in fintech."

List your highest qualification first with the full title, institution, year and any grade, followed by your first degree. Postgraduate study is common in Nigeria, and recruiters want to see it clearly.

Examples:

• "MSc Petroleum Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, 2023"
• "Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Management, University of Benin, 2022"
• "BSc Geology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 2019: Second Class Lower"

Add a short line on your thesis if it relates to the job. If your degree is in progress, write "MBA (in progress, expected 2027)". Do not list a qualification as completed until you have it.

Yes. A4 is the standard page size in Nigeria, and British spelling, such as organise, colour and programme, is commonly used in Nigerian business writing. Keep your spelling consistent throughout.

Tips:

• Choose A4 in your template or page settings before saving.
• Use "mobile" or "phone", and "CV" rather than "resume".
• Avoid American spellings mixed with British ones.
• Check for common errors such as "Curriculum Vitae" headings and "Bio-data" titles, which are not needed.

ResumeBuilder.ae lets you choose A4 or US Letter for the PDF, so select A4 for Nigerian applications.

No. Put your name at the top as the main heading instead. "Curriculum Vitae" and "Bio-data" headings are common on older Nigerian CVs, but the reader already knows what the document is, and your name is what you want them to remember.

Example header:
"Amina Yusuf
Procurement Officer | Abuja, FCT | 0805 000 0000 | amina.yusuf@example.com"

Some public sector forms are titled "Bio-data" and ask for specific details; fill those forms as instructed. For your own CV, keep it clean and modern.