How to hire and compliantly pay a remote contractor from Nigeria or another African country - contracts, payment methods, and tax obligations.
Confirm you need a contractor, not an employee. Contractors handle their own taxes and benefits; employees require full payroll compliance.
Write a contractor agreement covering: scope of work, hourly or project rate, payment schedule, IP ownership (all IP transfers to you), NDA, and termination.
Use a contract template from Lawpadi or a local lawyer for jurisdiction-specific clauses.
Set up payment: Deel is the simplest for cross-border contractors - they sign up on Deel and you fund the contract. For local Nigerian contractors, direct Paystack Transfer or bank transfer works.
Agree on invoicing: the contractor submits a monthly invoice, you pay within 5 business days.
For Nigerian contractors: deduct 5% Withholding Tax on contract payments and remit to the Nigeria Revenue Service quarterly via Rev360, the portal that replaced TaxPro Max in April 2026.
Keep records of all contracts, invoices, and payment receipts for 7 years.
Accept mobile money, cards, and online payments in Ghana with a properly tested settlement flow.
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