How to write a CV for jobs in Nigeria
Build a clear CV around the vacancy, with practical examples for graduates, office workers and skilled trades.
Start with the vacancy, not a blank page
Save the job description before writing. Pick out the three or four requirements that matter most: perhaps customer service, stock records, a specific qualification or experience using a tool. Beside each requirement, write one truthful example from your experience. This becomes your editing plan. If you cannot demonstrate an essential requirement, do not add it as a skill just to match the advert.
For a store assistant role, experience recording deliveries may be more relevant than a long account of an unrelated school project. For an electrician role, describe the work you performed and your level of supervision. Never imply that you hold a licence or qualification you have not earned.
Arrange the information so it is easy to find
Begin with your name, reachable phone number, professional email and city or state. Add a short profile, relevant skills, work experience, education and useful training. Put the most relevant evidence near the top; a new graduate may place education and projects before employment.
A full residential address, bank details, BVN, NIN and copies of identity documents do not belong in a general CV. If an employer later needs sensitive documents for a legitimate purpose, first confirm who is requesting them and how they will be handled. Ask referees before sharing their contact details.
Replace vague claims with evidence
Instead of "hardworking with excellent communication skills", describe an action: "Recorded customer orders, confirmed delivery details and followed up on missing items." If you have accurate records, add scale or a result. Do not invent percentages to make a bullet sound impressive.
Illustrative example: "Maintained a weekly stock sheet for a family shop and flagged low-stock items before the next supplier order." This is useful experience even if the work was informal. Label the role accurately and include its dates; do not turn occasional assistance into a full-time management position.
Make a version for each type of role
Keep a master CV containing your full history. For each application, select the most relevant achievements and use familiar wording from the advert where it accurately describes your work. Explain unfamiliar abbreviations. Include NYSC status only when relevant to the vacancy, and describe it accurately.
Use a simple single-column layout, clear headings and readable text. One or two pages is a useful editing target for many early-career applicants, not a universal rule. Follow the requested file format; if none is given, a text-based PDF can preserve your layout. Check that you can select and copy its text.
Check the actual file before sending
Open the exported file on a phone as well as a computer. Confirm that contact details work, dates are consistent and no text has been cut off. Give the file a useful name such as Ada-Okeke-CV.pdf. Remove comments, tracked changes and any information left from a template.
Final check: can a reader quickly identify the role you want, the experience that supports it and how to contact you? Ask someone to read the CV against the advert rather than simply asking whether it looks good. Keep the submitted version so you can refer to it during an interview.