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The short answer
To pay a carer for a parent in Nigeria from Canada, agree written terms (duties, hours, pay, rest day, leave and notice), pay on a fixed date at least monthly into the carer's own account, and keep a record of every payment. The Labour Act treats a house servant in a private home as a domestic servant; its rules on monthly wages, written terms within three months and notice are a sensible floor even where some provisions may not strictly apply.
Decide what kind of help your parent needs
The answer shapes the cost and the agreement:
- A live-in carer or house help who cooks, cleans and keeps company, with a room in the house.
- A day carer who comes for set hours.
- A trained nurse or caregiver from an agency, for medication, mobility or dementia care.
- A relative paid an allowance, often a niece or cousin who moves in.
Agencies usually charge more but handle replacement and vetting; a direct hire is cheaper but puts the checks on you and a trusted person on the ground. Either way, someone local, a sibling, a neighbour or a church member, should visit unannounced from time to time.
Employment basics in Nigeria
Nigeria's Labour Act (Cap L1, LFN 2004) defines a domestic servant as a house, stable or garden servant employed in or about a private dwelling, including a private driver. Several provisions are useful as a baseline for a carer's terms:
- Written terms
- Section 7 requires a written statement of terms within three months of starting: the parties, the nature of the work, pay and how it is paid, hours, holidays, sick pay and notice.
- Pay intervals
- Section 15 says wages fall due at the end of each agreed period, at intervals of not more than one month.
- Rest
- Section 13 provides for a rest day of 24 hours in every seven days.
- Sick pay
- Section 16 allows up to 12 working days' paid sick leave a year with a medical certificate.
- Annual holiday
- Section 18 gives at least six working days' paid holiday after 12 months' continuous service.
- Notice
- Section 11 sets minimum notice by length of service: one day up to three months, one week up to two years, two weeks up to five years, one month after that.
The National Minimum Wage was raised to ₦70,000 a month in July 2024. SCP Law's summary of the 2024 Act says the exemptions from the earlier Act were retained, and lists domestic workers among them. Many families still treat it as a floor for a live-in carer. Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, employment income at or below the minimum wage is exempt from personal income tax, according to a January 2026 Mondaq briefing.
For a fuller guide, see hiring domestic staff in Nigeria.
Write a simple agreement
One or two pages is enough. Include:
- Names of the carer, your parent, and you (or a sibling) as the person paying.
- Duties, listed plainly: meals, bathing, medication reminders, hospital visits, cleaning.
- Hours, the rest day and arrangements for nights.
- Monthly pay, the pay date, and the account it goes to.
- What is provided: room, food, transport to hospital, phone credit.
- Leave, sick days and what happens when the carer is away.
- Notice on both sides.
- Who the carer calls in an emergency, in Nigeria and in Canada.
Sign two copies; keep a photo of the signed pages.
Paying and keeping records
Pay into an account in the carer's own name, on the same date each month. Paying through a relative in cash makes disputes hard to settle. Keep a simple ledger: date, amount, what it covered, and any advances. The Labour Act limits advances to one month's wages, recovered over at least three months without interest (section 4), which is a fair rule to adopt.
A labelled example
Example only. You agree ₦120,000 a month for a live-in carer, plus ₦20,000 for transport and phone credit, paid on the 25th. In March the carer asks for an advance of ₦90,000 for a family need. You agree to recover it at ₦30,000 a month for three months, so April to June pay is ₦110,000 (₦120,000 − ₦30,000 + ₦20,000), and July returns to ₦140,000.
If several siblings abroad share the cost, agree one person who pays the carer and a fixed share each sends to that person before the pay date. A carer who is paid late because two siblings are waiting on a third is a carer likely to leave, and a change of carer is hard on an elderly parent.
Safeguards for your parent
- Keep your parent's bank cards and PINs away from the carer; pay household spending through a separate allowance.
- Ask a local relative or friend to visit regularly, including unannounced.
- Agree how hospital bills are paid; see paying a Nigerian hospital from Canada.
- Get references and, if using an agency, its registration details.
- Review the arrangement every six months with your parent alone, so they can say if anything is wrong.
If the carer leaves, the notice rules above apply both ways, and paying wages due on or before the last day avoids disputes. Settle any advance in writing at the same time.
Where Pryme fits
From Canada, a Pryme Personal account lets you hold naira and pay the carer on a fixed date, with the rate and fee shown before you approve. A Personal Assistant can prepare the monthly payment and remind you, but nothing moves until you approve (assistant). This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How much should I pay a carer for my mother in Nigeria?
There is no set rate for private carers. The minimum wage is ₦70,000 a month, though SCP Law reports domestic workers among the exemptions. Agree a monthly figure, pay on time and review it yearly.
Do I need a contract for a house help in Nigeria?
The Labour Act requires a written statement of terms within three months for workers it covers. A short written agreement protects both sides either way.
Can I pay a carer in Nigeria from Canada every month automatically?
You can set a reminder and pay the same date each month. Paying into the carer's own account keeps a clear record.
Is a caregiver's salary taxed in Nigeria?
Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, employment income at or below the national minimum wage is exempt. Above that, personal income tax rules apply.
Sources
- Labour Act, Cap L1 LFN 2004 (PLAC Laws of Nigeria) · accessed Oct 2026
- SCP Law: The 2024 Minimum Wage Act, a closer look at what's new (31 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq (Adeola Oyinlade & Co): Understanding personal income tax under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (5 Jan 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.