statutory right
Statutory Right is a benefit or protection the law gives every worker automatically, whether or not it is written in their contract.
In plain English
Chidinma had worked at the fabric shop in Balogun for three years when she got pregnant, and her employer casually mentioned that the shop 'does not really do maternity leave' since it was never in her letter of appointment. Chidinma had never seen an actual employment contract from that shop, just a handshake and a promise of ₦40,000 a month, so she assumed the man was right.
He was not. Maternity leave in Nigeria is not a gift an employer decides to hand out on a good day. It is a statutory right, meaning the law grants it to eligible workers regardless of what is or is not typed on a piece of paper. The Labour Act does not ask your employer's permission first.
This is the whole point of a statutory right. It sits above the contract, not inside it. Your employer cannot negotiate it away, and you cannot sign it away either, even if you are desperate for the job and would agree to almost anything. Some things the law simply refuses to let people bargain down.
In the United Kingdom, this shows up clearly too. A worker on a zero hours contract in Manchester might feel they have no protections at all, but statutory rights like the national minimum wage, paid holiday, and protection from unlawful deductions still apply to them, contract or no contract.
For the Nigerian in London sending money home every month, understanding statutory rights matters both ways. It helps them know what they are owed at their UK job, and it helps them explain to family back home why 'my oga said so' is not always the final word on what an employer can and cannot do.
Statutory rights are the floor the law built, and no employer, however powerful sounding, is allowed to dig underneath it.
Ngozi earns ₦150,000 a month and her contract says nothing about annual leave. The Labour Act still entitles her to at least six working days of paid leave a year after twelve months of service, whether her employer mentioned it or not.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a statutory right and a contractual right?
A contractual right comes from what you and your employer agreed and signed, so it can vary from job to job. A statutory right comes from the law itself, so it applies to eligible workers automatically, no matter what the contract says or leaves out.
Can my employer remove a statutory right if I agree to it?
No. Even if you sign something agreeing to give up a statutory right, such as minimum wage or paid leave, that clause is usually not enforceable because the law does not allow these baseline protections to be bargained away.
How do I know which statutory rights apply to me in Nigeria?
Start with the Labour Act, which covers things like leave, notice periods, and payment of wages, then check whether your role or state has extra protections. If your employer is vague or evasive about this, that alone is worth paying attention to.
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