Employee Theft Crisis Hits Nigerian Hospitality Sector

The article addresses the significant problem of employee theft in Nigeria's business sector, illustrated through the experiences of hotel owners Otunba Femi Okenla and Ayodel Ogundel. They describe a culture of impunity where theft by employees is rampant, with Okenla noting that police will not pursue cases of staff theft without inducement.

The article references a proverb, "Every Day for the Thief, No Day for the Owner," to underline the slow justice system and the moral decline in society. It mentions that businesses often absorb the costs of theft, which can be as high as 90% of their operational time.

The article also points out the challenges of hiring auditors and implementing security measures like CCTV due to financial constraints. Okenla and Ogundel share their frustrations with the legal system's inefficiency in addressing theft, leading to a cycle where businesses expect theft as a cost of doing business.