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Nigerian CV format

Keep a Nigerian CV to two pages, reverse-chronological, with a short profile, experience, education, NYSC status and professional certifications. Under section 12 of the NYSC Act, employers must ask graduates for their NYSC discharge or exemption certificate before hiring, so state yours. Referees can be listed or "available on request".

Build my CVCheck my ATS scoreUpdated 4 October 2026

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Nigerian CV format at a glance

Length
Two pages; one to two for fresh graduates.
NYSC
State it: "NYSC: completed 2025 (discharge certificate)", "exempted" or "currently serving, POP March 2027". Your PPA can count as experience.
Certifications
List the professional bodies you belong to or are studying with: ICAN, CIBN, COREN, NIM, CIPM and others.
Personal details
Phone, email, city. State of origin and LGA only for public-sector roles that ask; skip religion and marital status.
Referees
Two or three listed, or "available on request".
Never include
BVN, NIN or bank details.
Where to look
Jobberman, MyJobMag, LinkedIn, company portals and graduate trainee programmes.

CV sample for Nigeria

A made-up person, in the layout described on this page. Build yours with any CVEmber template and download it as a PDF.

Nigerian CV sample (graduate trainee)

Chiamaka Okafor

B.Sc. Economics · Graduate trainee applicant

Lagos · +234 803 xxx xxxx · chiamaka.okafor@example.com

NYSC: completed March 2026 (discharge certificate)

Profile

  • Economics graduate (Second Class Upper) with NYSC experience in a bank's retail operations team, looking for a graduate trainee role in banking or consulting.

Experience

  • NYSC Corps Member (PPA), Retail Operations, Crestline Bank Plc, Abuja · 2025–2026 · Reconciled 1,200 daily transactions and cut customer complaint backlog by 40% with a new tracker.

Education

  • B.Sc. Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka · 2:1 · 2024

Certifications and skills

  • Excel (advanced), Power BI, SPSS · ICAN Foundation (in progress)

Referees

  • Available on request

NYSC on your CV

Treat your place of primary assignment like a job: organisation, role, dates and results. Community development service can go under leadership. If you're exempted or excluded, say so briefly; don't leave employers guessing.

What the NYSC Act says

Under section 11 of the NYSC Act, the Directorate issues a Certificate of National Service when you complete service; under section 17 it issues a certificate of exemption to anyone it exempts, and also where your service is deferred, extended or reduced. Section 12 makes it the duty of every prospective employer to demand a copy of one of them before employing a graduate. Section 13 makes it an offence to forge a certificate or knowingly give false information, so write your status exactly as your certificate shows it. Section 18 says an employer must take your service year into account when setting seniority and pay.

Graduate trainee applications

Keep the CV to one or two pages, put your class of degree and NYSC status near the top, and match the programme's stated competencies. Prepare for any online tests the programme lists. If you're still serving, give your expected passing-out month so the employer can plan a start date.

Common mistakes

  • Five pages listing every seminar attended.
  • “Objective” paragraphs about “a reputable organisation”.
  • Unprofessional email addresses.
  • Personal details the employer didn't ask for.

Section by section

  1. Contact: name, phone (+234), email, city, LinkedIn.
  2. Profile: three lines on who you are and what you're looking for.
  3. Experience: organisation, role, dates and results; NYSC PPA and internships count.
  4. Education: degree and class, institution, year; WAEC/NECO only if the employer asks or you're a school-leaver.
  5. Certifications: professional bodies and courses.
  6. Skills, then referees.

Cover letter

Send a short cover letter or email: the role and where you saw it, why you fit in two or three sentences, and your NYSC status for graduate roles.

When you resign

The Nigerian letter of resignation covers notice under the Labour Act and salary in lieu.

Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026. Employers and portals change what they ask for, so always follow the job advert first.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

What is the best CV format in Nigeria?

Reverse-chronological, two pages, with a short profile, experience, education, NYSC status, certifications and referees (or "available on request").

Should I include my NYSC on my CV?

Yes. Under section 12 of the NYSC Act, employers must ask graduates for their NYSC discharge or exemption certificate before hiring, so state your status and treat your PPA as experience.

Should I write my state of origin?

Only for public-sector roles or forms that ask for it.

Should I list referees?

List two or three with their permission, or write "available on request" if you'd rather share them later.

How long should a fresh graduate's CV be?

One to two pages.

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