ALGORITHMIC MANAGEMENT AND LABOUR RIGHTS IN AFRICA: REGULATORY GAPS AND POLICY PATHWAYS WITH NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The increasing adoption of algorithmic systems in hiring, supervision and performance evaluation is transforming workplace governance across Africa. In Nigeria, private-sector organisations in banking, telecommunications, logistics and digital services now rely on artificial intelligence and automated decision-making tools to screen candidates, monitor productivity and assign performance scores. While these systems are presented as efficient and objective, they raise significant concerns relating to labour rights, workplace surveillance, data protection and algorithmic bias. This study employs a doctrinal and comparative analytical approach, examining the interaction between algorithmic management, constitutional guarantees and statutory labour protections in Nigeria, and positioning these developments alongside regulatory trajectories in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana. The findings show that existing labour and data protection frameworks do not adequately safeguard workers’ rights to dignity, fairness, transparency and human review in automated decision-making processes. Drawing on contemporary global regulatory developments, including the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act and emerging guidance on algorithmic accountability, the article proposes a rights-based governance framework grounded in transparency obligations, algorithmic impact assessment, mandatory human oversight and enforceable avenues for contestation and redress. It concludes that proactive regulatory intervention is necessary to ensure that technological innovation advances efficiency without undermining equality and justice in the future of work in Africa.