There is a phrase Nigerians use when they are tired of excuses: “No stories”.
It is short, familiar and direct. It means do not promise what you cannot deliver. Do not disappear after collecting money. Do not change the price halfway through the job. Do not say you are “almost there” when you have not left where you are. Do not turn a simple repair into a long drama.
In many ways, that phrase captures one of the biggest problems in Nigeria’s home and business service market.
The issue is not that Nigeria lacks skilled people. Across our cities and communities, there are talented electricians, plumbers, AC technicians, cleaners, carpenters, painters, installers and repair professionals. Many of them know their work. Many are honest. Many want serious customers, steady opportunities and a reputation they can build.
The deeper problem is trust.
For many households, finding someone to fix a problem at home still depends on informal referrals, emergency phone calls, old contacts, neighbour recommendations and guesswork. When the AC stops cooling, the tap starts leaking, the socket begins to spark or the cabinet starts falling apart, the first question is often: “Who knows someone”?
That system has worked for years, but it has also created frustration.
Sometimes the person comes late. Sometimes the price changes. Sometimes the work is poorly done. Sometimes another problem is created. Sometimes the person disappears after the first visit. Sometimes the customer has no clear pathway for follow-up.
For businesses, the problem is even more serious. A faulty AC, an electrical issue, a leaking pipe, a broken fitting, or a delayed maintenance response can affect productivity, customer experience, and revenue. For estates and communities, the challenge becomes greater: how do you help residents access reliable support services without everyone relying on random contacts?
This is why the future of home and business service delivery in Nigeria will not be built only on more contacts. It will be built on more trust.
Trust requires structure.
It requires clearer information before a service begins. It requires better expectations between customers and providers. It requires support pathways when plans do not go as intended. It requires customer feedback. It requires provider accountability. It requires platforms that do not simply connect people and disappear, but continue to improve the experience around that connection.
At Wrkman, this is the thinking behind our renewed market push and our campaign idea: Zero Stories. Just Service.
“Zero stories” is not just a slogan. It is a cultural insight. Nigerians already understand what it means. It means no excuses, no unnecessary back-and-forth, no confusion, no silence and no avoidable drama.
For us, it also means building a better process around service access.
It does not mean pretending that every service job will always be perfect. Real service work can be complex. Sometimes diagnosis is needed. Sometimes parts are required. Sometimes follow-up is necessary. But customers deserve clarity. Providers deserve a fair and structured system. Both sides deserve a better service culture.
For customers, this means making it easier to request service support without having to chase down random contacts. It means helping users understand what to expect. It means encouraging reviews and feedback. It means making support pathways clearer when issues arise.
For providers, it means recognising that skilled artisans and technicians are not the problem. In fact, they are central to the solution. Good service professionals deserve visibility, serious customers and the opportunity to build trust through their work. A better platform should help providers grow their reputation, not reduce them to invisible labour.
For businesses, it means maintenance should not become a recurring operational headache. Every hour lost to avoidable repairs, delays or uncertainty affects work, people and service delivery.
For communities and estate managers, it means service access can become more organised. Instead of every resident searching alone, communities can begin to consider structured maintenance education, safer access to support, and more reliable service engagement.
This is not simply a technology story. It is a trust story.
An app alone does not solve trust. A platform must earn it through process, proof, accountability and consistent improvement. It must listen to users. It must respect providers. It must make service expectations clearer. It must use feedback to improve. It must help the market move from informal uncertainty to structured access.
Nigeria’s informal service economy is large, active and essential. But informality should not mean disorder. The more we build trust into everyday service delivery, the more value we unlock for households, businesses, providers and communities.
This is the opportunity before us.
At Wrkman, we believe the next phase of home and business services will be shaped by platforms that can combine convenience with accountability, access with structure, and technology with human trust.
That is the work we are committed to.
Zero Stories. Just Service. is our invitation to customers, providers, businesses, communities and partners to participate in building a better service culture.
A culture where people do not panic when something breaks.
A culture where skilled professionals are respected and held to clear standards.
A culture where service does not end with a booking, but includes follow-through.
A culture where “no stories” becomes more than a warning.
It becomes a promise.
Nigeria does not lack talent.
What the market needs now is trust, structure and accountability.
That is the future of home and business services.
That is the future Wrkman is working to build.
Ebohon is the Chief Executive Officer of wrkman and writes from Lagos, Nigeria
