How to hire a professional safely in Nigeria — a complete guide
Finding a good professional in Nigeria — whether it is an electrician, a tailor, a plumber, or a private chef — can feel risky. This guide shows you exactly how to hire safely using Solvd, Nigeria's verified skills marketplace.
Why hiring a stranger still feels risky in Nigeria
Most Nigerians rely on referrals from friends and family to find skilled workers. That works — until your trusted contact does not know anyone who does what you need. Then you are left calling unknown numbers from classifieds, asking in WhatsApp groups, or taking a chance on someone whose background you cannot verify.
The risks are real: workers who take advance payment and disappear, professionals who do a poor job and cannot be held accountable, and situations where strangers come into your home with no verification at all. Solvd was built specifically to solve this problem in Nigeria.
Step 1: Search for what you need
Go to Solvd and type the service you need in the search bar. You can search by skill — "electrician", "tailor", "plumber" — or by what you want done — "fix my wiring", "sew a dress", "unblock my pipe". Solvd understands both.
Your location is used to show you professionals who are actually nearby. If you are in Enugu, you see Enugu professionals. If you are in Lagos, you see Lagos professionals. You can also search across Nigeria if you need a specialist.
Step 2: Compare profiles carefully
Every professional profile on Solvd shows you:
- Their verified identity — government-confirmed through NIMC NIN database
- Their star rating — calculated from real, verified client reviews
- Their job completion count — how many jobs they have finished on the platform
- Their response time — how quickly they typically reply to new requests
- Their portfolio photos — actual photos of past work they have done
- Their pricing range — what they typically charge per job or per day
Step 3: Message before you commit
On Solvd, you message the professional before you pay anything. Use this conversation to:
- Describe your job in detail — what exactly needs to be done, where, and when
- Ask about their availability for your preferred date and time
- Confirm the price and exactly what is included in that price
- Ask any questions about their experience with similar jobs
- Agree on how long the job will take
Your personal phone number and home address are never shared with the professional unless you choose to share them yourself. All communication stays safely inside the Solvd platform.
Step 4: Pay through Solvd only
This is the most important part. Always pay through Solvd — never send money directly to the professional's personal account before the job is done.
Here is why: when you pay through Solvd, your money is held securely by the platform and only released to the professional after you confirm the job is complete and you are satisfied. If the job is not done well, you have the ability to dispute before the money is released.
Step 5: Confirm completion and leave a review
When the professional finishes the job and you are satisfied, confirm completion in the app. This releases payment to them. Then take 2 minutes to leave an honest review — your star rating and written feedback help the next client make a better decision, and they reward good professionals with higher visibility.