Developing an Employee Assistance Programme Framework for the Nigerian Banking Sector

Banking sector employees in Nigeria face intense occupational stressors including performance targets, irregular work hours, job insecurity, and ethical pressure, yet access to professional employee assistance services remains limited across most Nigerian commercial banks. This study developed a professionally grounded employee assistance programme framework applicable to Nigerian commercial banking institutions. A framework development approach was employed, drawing on EAP literature review, structured interviews with 15 HR and occupational health managers from five Tier 1 and three Tier 2 banks in Lagos and Abuja, and consultations with eight occupational counselling specialists. The interviews revealed that 87.5 percent of assessed banks lacked a structured EAP, 73.3 percent had no confidential counselling access for employees, and 53.3 percent reported high absenteeism attributable to personal and psychological difficulties. The framework developed encompasses six core elements: confidential short-term counselling provision (minimum six sessions per employee per year), 24-hour crisis helpline, managerial referral training, workplace wellbeing awareness promotion, critical incident stress debriefing protocols, and programme evaluation metrics. Specific provisions for common banking sector issues including financial stress, work performance anxiety, and ethical conflict are included. Implementation guidance covering internal versus external EAP delivery models, vendor selection criteria, and cost-benefit benchmarks is provided. Expert review by ten occupational health and counselling professionals confirmed the framework's professional adequacy. The study recommends adoption of the framework as a minimum EAP standard by the Central Bank of Nigeria's staff welfare guidelines and as a model for the wider Nigerian corporate sector.