Study of Inter-Ethnic Communication Challenges in Multicultural Workplaces in Lagos State

Lagos State is home to Nigeria's most ethnically diverse urban workforce, and understanding how inter-ethnic communication dynamics affect workplace productivity and cohesion is of practical and theoretical significance. This study examined inter-ethnic communication challenges and management strategies in multicultural workplaces in Lagos. A descriptive survey was conducted among 280 employees from five large-scale organisations in Ikeja and Lagos Island spanning financial services, manufacturing, and retail sectors, selected through stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire assessed inter-ethnic communication frequency, perceived communication barriers, language use preferences, conflict experiences related to ethnic communication, and management interventions perceived as effective. Results showed that language differences were perceived as a communication barrier by 54.6 percent of respondents, primarily in informal work settings rather than formal meetings. Ethnic stereotyping in workplace communication was reported by 47.9 percent as a challenge they had personally encountered. Organisations with explicit diversity and inclusion communication policies showed lower levels of reported inter-ethnic communication conflict (p < 0.01). English proficiency as a common language was positively valued by 82.1 percent as a neutral communication space, though code-switching to Yoruba or Igbo in informal settings created perceived exclusion among minority group members. The study recommends that Lagos-based organisations invest in inter-cultural communication training and establish diversity communication policies that affirm multilingual identity within formal workplace norms. Keywords: inter-ethnic communication, workplace diversity, Lagos, multicultural communication, organisational communication