77 % of Nigerian Bankers Experienced Workplace Stress in 2025, Says WRI Report

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The HP Work Relationship Index (WRI) for 2025 has found a staggering 70 per cent level of stress among Nigerian bankers, indicative of the growing focus on holistic well-being and mental health in the workplace in the country.

The third annual survey also discovered that 80 per cent of employees in South Africa were operating under constant strain to perform, without job fulfillment and career growth opportunities.

The South African unemployment rate, according to the report, was at 33.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025.

It described the workplace as demanding and less fulfilling due to economic pressure, global disruption, and unequal access to technology, adding the disruption and isolation caused by these forces was also inflicting pressure on the workforce.

The report noted that in South Africa and Nigeria, this was compounded by broader socio-economic realities such as high unemployment economic uncertainty and widening inequality.

A statement by the Managing Director HP Southern Africa, Yesh Surjoodeen, described the report as the silver lining for businesses across the globe, helping to achieve not only optimal operational productivity through employees but also the more elusive and valuable aim of fulfillment.

“Employees are the core of every business; their skills and competence are essential to not only their own growth but also for the success of the company.

“HP’s third annual HP Work Relationship Index (WRI) offers sobering insights into what has long been a gnawing pain point – work is simply not working. The global workforce is under pressure, and countries such as South Africa and Nigeria in Sub-Saharan Africa are no different,” Surjoodeen said.

The WRI also stated that globally, just 20 per cent of knowledge workers reported having a healthy relationship with work, down by eight points from 2024, adding fulfillment at work has reached a historic low with the most significant drop experienced by business leaders.

“The most dramatic decline is among business leaders. Across industries and regions, employees report feeling overburdened, undervalued and under-resourced, with 62 per cent of desk-based workers feeling that demands and expectations have increased over the past year,” the WRI noted.

The report underscored the importance of decent and fulfilling work as embedded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, particularly Goal 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, which emphasizes that while financial progress is essential, it must go hand in hand with the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, as well as full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The goal said financial progress should not only create decent and fulfilling jobs but also safeguard the environment.

However, workplaces become pressure cookers rather than places of purpose – where the relentless drive for productivity overshadows employee’s need for balance, recognition, and psychological safety.

In 2026, the WRI urges companies to prioritise fostering environments where employees feel genuinely connected, supported, and valued, saying many employees no longer trust that leaders understand what they need, and this will push organisations to re-examine their approaches to management and care.