How to Write a Cover Letter in Nigeria

Writing a cover letter in Nigeria means writing one page, addressed to a named hiring manager where possible, explaining why you fit a specific role — not repeating your CV. This guide covers cover letters specifically, distinct from the CV guides (which cover CV content) and the cover-letter-examples guide (which covers fresh-graduate examples).

What a cover letter is

• One page, for a specific role — a short letter, for one role, at one employer, not a generic letter, for every application.
• Why you fit, not CV repetition — skills, experience, and motivation, matching the role, explained, not CV bullet points repeated.
• Professional tone — formal, concise, Nigerian business English, as employers state, without slang or over-familiarity.

Cover letter structure

1. Header — name, phone, email, city, and date, as on your CV.
2. Addressee — hiring manager name, where known, or ‘Dear Hiring Manager’, where unknown, never ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ by default, where a name is findable.
3. Opening — role, employer, and where you found the role, in 1–2 lines, with a brief fit statement.
4. Body — 2 paragraphs, on skills, experience, and projects, matching the role’s requirements, with evidence, not adjectives alone.
5. Motivation — 1 paragraph, on why this employer and role, specifically, not generic praise.
6. Closing — availability for interview, thanks, and professional sign-off, with name and contact.

Cover letter mistakes

• Generic letters for every role — one generic letter, sent to every employer, loses to tailored letters, matching each role.
• CV repetition — repeating CV bullet points, without explanation, wastes letter space. Explain fit, with evidence, not lists.
• Length over one page — letters over one page lose employer attention, whatever the content.
• Errors and wrong names — spelling errors, wrong employer names, and wrong role titles, ending applications. Proofread, and check names, before every submission.

When cover letters are optional

• Application states optional — cover letters, where applications state optional, are still worth writing, for competitive roles, as employers state.
• Application states not required — cover letters, where applications state not required, are omitted, following instructions, not ignored.
• Email applications — email bodies, serving as cover letters, following the same structure, concisely, for email applications.

Related Guides & Next Steps

• How to Write a CV With No Work Experience
• Cover Letter Examples for Fresh Graduates
• How to Apply for a Job With No Experience
• How to List Internship Experience on Your CV

Frequently asked questions

What is a cover letter? One page, for a specific role, at one employer, explaining why you fit the role — skills, experience, and motivation, matching the role — not repeating your CV.

How long should a cover letter be? One page, for most roles, as employers state. Letters over one page lose employer attention, whatever the content.

Should I address my cover letter to a named person? Yes, where possible — hiring manager name, where known, or ‘Dear Hiring Manager’, where unknown, never ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ by default, where a name is findable.

Should I write a cover letter if the application says optional? Yes, for competitive roles — cover letters, where applications state optional, are still worth writing, as employers state.

Should I repeat my CV in my cover letter? No — cover letters explain fit, with evidence, not lists. Repeating CV bullet points, without explanation, wastes letter space.

Sources and last update

• No salary figure, vacancy count, or hiring outcome is asserted anywhere in this article, deliberately — employer career pages and reputable boards, checked at application time, govern.
• No company is named as currently hiring anywhere in this article, deliberately — hiring windows open and close; employer career pages govern.
• Scam patterns: fees for jobs, payment to personal accounts, guaranteed jobs or shortlisting, and CV services selling fake experience are red flags — verify every employer on official channels before applying or paying anything.
• No job, shortlisting, or hiring outcome is promised anywhere in this article.

Last updated: 24 October 2026. Guide — review every 6–12 months, and on every major hiring-platform change.