Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has ceased its commercial operations in Nigeria, resulting in widespread redundancies among its local commercial workforce.
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The company has begun issuing formal redundancy notifications to affected employees, though severance packages reportedly remain under negotiation. Internal communications obtained by West Africa Weekly reveal the pharmaceutical company is moving ahead with job cuts while employee compensation details are still being finalised.
An email dated January 13, signed by Olubukola Oparinde, Manager People Experience, SSA Biopharma, acknowledged staff concerns regarding the shutdown. “Further feedback from leadership would be provided,” the email stated, as employees received redundancy notification letters requiring their acknowledgement of the job losses.
Additional correspondence on January 15 directed affected staff to sign the notifications while clarifying that these documents did not constitute final redundancy agreements. The communication emphasised that severance details remained subject to additional approvals within the company.
By February 12, the company appeared to be advancing discussions around employee compensation, with at least one employee receiving specific severance computation details in an email.
Under Nigerian labour laws, affected employees are entitled to severance packages that include redundancy benefits, final salary payments, and other contractual entitlements. However, sources familiar with the situation have expressed concerns about whether Pfizer will fulfil these obligations completely.
The shutdown comes during a period of significant economic challenges in Nigeria that has seen several multinational corporations either downsize their operations or exit the market entirely. The pharmaceutical sector has been particularly affected by currency devaluation, regulatory hurdles, and difficulties in repatriating profits.
Pfizer’s decision adds to a growing trend of job losses across various sectors of the Nigerian economy, raising concerns about employment stability in Africa’s most populous nation.
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