AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Agree four things in writing before you start: the scope (deliverables, word counts, revision rounds and approval deadlines), who owns the copyright and when it passes, how and when you are paid, and how the work may be credited. Under Nigeria's Copyright Act 2022, an assignment or exclusive licence of copyright has no effect unless it is in writing, so a brand that wants to own your words needs a signed assignment, and you can make it take effect only on payment.
Scope: the clause that prevents most disputes
Most fallings-out between writers and brand clients are about scope, not quality. A brief that says "blog content for Q4" invites twelve rounds of edits and three extra posts. Write the scope as a list the client signs off:
- Deliverables: number of pieces, formats (articles, captions, scripts, email), word counts.
- Inputs: brief, brand voice guide, approvals contact, access to subject experts, all by a set date.
- Revisions: for example two rounds per piece, with further rounds charged at an hourly rate.
- Approval window: work is treated as approved if no comments arrive within, say, five working days.
- Out of scope: design, posting, translation, community management, unless listed.
Copyright: who owns the words
As the author, you own copyright in what you write unless you agree otherwise. Nigeria's Copyright Act 2022, as summarised by Mondaq (Esher & Makarios), makes copyright transferable by assignment and provides that:
- an assignment or an exclusive licence has no effect unless it is in writing (section 30(3));
- an assignment may be partial, limited to certain acts, a period or a territory (section 30(2));
- a non-exclusive licence may be written, oral or inferred from conduct (section 30(4)); and
- future works can be assigned, but not all future works (section 30(10)).
So a brand that wants exclusive ownership needs a signed document. A fair, common approach is an assignment of copyright in the final approved deliverables that takes effect on payment in full, with a licence to use drafts for review only until then. If the client never pays, it never owns the work. Your own country's law matters too, because the contract may be governed by it; see IP assignment for work for Nigerian clients.
Ghostwriting and credit
In ghostwriting the client publishes your work under its own name or a founder's. Mondaq's summary of a 2026 OAL article notes that moral rights under section 14 of the Act, such as attribution and integrity, cannot be signed away during the author's life (section 14(3)). How that interacts with a ghostwriting deal is not settled in anything we read, so take Nigerian legal advice if credit matters to either side. One approach is to state that the client will publish under its own name and that you agree not to claim authorship publicly, while preserving your right to show the work privately to prospective clients.
Payment terms
- Deposit: for a one-off project, a share up front (for example 30 to 50%); for retainers, monthly in advance.
- Currency: state it, and who bears bank charges. See who pays SWIFT charges.
- Payment period: for example 14 days from invoice, with late interest under the contract.
- Kill fee: what is paid if the brand cancels mid-project; see kill fee clauses.
- Withholding tax: whether the client deducts it, and that it will give you the receipt.
Approvals and sign-off
Brand clients in Nigeria often route content through several people: a marketing lead, a founder, sometimes a regulator-facing compliance team for fintech or health brands. Name one approver in the contract, and say that comments from anyone else come through that person. Without it, a piece can be approved by one manager and reopened by another a week later, and the revision rounds you priced disappear. Ask at the start whether any content needs legal or compliance review, and build that time into the delivery dates rather than absorbing it.
AI, confidentiality and portfolio
- AI tools: say whether you use them and how. Some brands require disclosure or prohibit AI-generated text; agree it now rather than after delivery.
- Confidentiality: brands may share launch plans or figures. A short clause covering non-public information is reasonable.
- Portfolio rights: the right to show published work, or anonymised samples for ghostwritten work.
Worked example
Example only. A Toronto-based writer agrees eight blog posts of 1,200 words each for a Lagos skincare brand at US$250 per post, two revision rounds each.
- Total fee
- 8 × US$250 = US$2,000
- Deposit (40%)
- US$800 before work starts
- Balance
- US$1,200 on approval of the final post
- Copyright
- Assigned post by post on payment of the balance
- Extra revision rounds
- At an hourly rate set in the contract
Where Pryme fits
Invoicing on a Pryme Business Account handles deposit and balance invoices in the currency agreed, and money stays in that currency until you choose to Swap it; outside Nigeria, these services are provided through regulated partners. For creator-style sponsored work rather than ghostwriting, see brand deals with Nigerian companies.
What to check first
- A signed scope with deliverables, revisions and approval window.
- A written copyright assignment that takes effect on payment.
- Deposit received before work starts.
- Agreement on AI use, credit and portfolio rights.
Questions people ask
Who owns the copyright in content I write for a Nigerian brand?
You do, unless you assign it. Under Nigeria's Copyright Act 2022 an assignment has no effect unless it is in writing, so agree it in the contract.
Can I make the copyright transfer only after I am paid?
Yes. A common approach is to assign copyright in the final deliverables on payment in full, with a licence to use drafts for review until then.
Can I ghostwrite and still use the work in my portfolio?
Only if the contract allows it. Agree portfolio rights up front, for example private samples only for ghostwritten work.
Should I disclose that I use AI tools?
Agree it in the contract. Some brands require disclosure or prohibit AI-generated text, and it is better settled before delivery.
Sources
- Mondaq (Esher & Makarios): Assignment of intellectual property rights, essential considerations · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq (OAL): Who owns your photos under Nigeria's Copyright Act (16 Jul 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.