Here is a scene every Nigerian freelancer knows. The work is delivered. The client goes quiet. Your "net 7" invoice quietly becomes net 40, then net "let me get back to you." You have brilliant WhatsApp chats, a Canva mood board, and voice notes full of promises, but no contract. So you have nothing that a court, a client's finance team, or your own peace of mind can lean on.
A contract is not a sign that you distrust a client. It is the professional equivalent of a handshake that both parties can actually remember. For freelancers juggling local clients paying in naira and international ones paying in dollars, the right clauses are the difference between a business and an expensive hobby. Below is a clause-by-clause walkthrough in plain English, with sample language you can adapt. Pair it with clear freelance rates and you have the two documents your practice actually runs on.
One caveat before we start: this is general information, not legal advice. For high-value or complex deals, have a Nigerian lawyer review your template.
Scope of Work and Change Requests
Scope creep is the quiet killer of freelance margins. You agree to design "a logo," and three weeks later you are also doing a full brand book, for the same fee. A scope clause fixes exactly what is included and what counts as new work that triggers a new quote.
The Contractor will deliver: [list specific deliverables, formats and quantities]. Any work not expressly listed here constitutes a Change Request and will be quoted and approved in writing before work begins.
The magic words are "in writing." A change confirmed by email or a signed variation note is defensible; one confirmed by a thumbs-up emoji is not.
Payment Terms, Deposits and Milestones
Never finance your client's business with your own cash flow. A deposit proves the client is serious and protects you if they vanish mid-project. A common structure is an upfront deposit before work starts, with the balance on delivery; for longer projects, break payment into milestones tied to stages.
The Client will pay a non-refundable deposit of [amount/percentage] before work commences. The remaining balance is due within [X] days of final delivery. The Contractor may pause work if any invoice remains unpaid past its due date.
That last line, the right to down tools on non-payment, is your leverage. Without it, you are contractually obligated to keep working for someone who has stopped paying.
Late-Payment Penalties and Currency
A due date with no consequence is a suggestion. A modest late fee changes the client's internal maths so that paying you rises up the priority list.
Invoices unpaid after [X] days will attract a late-payment charge of [percentage]% per month on the outstanding balance until settled.
Currency deserves its own sentence. State plainly whether the fee is in naira or USD, and, crucially, who bears the transfer and FX costs. International wires, Payoneer, and Wise all take a cut, and a "$500" fee can land as $470 if you are silent on it.
All fees are quoted in [USD/NGN] and are net of any bank, platform, or transfer charges. The Client bears all transaction and intermediary-bank fees so that the Contractor receives the full invoiced amount.
If you are being paid abroad, our guide on how to get paid in dollars from Nigeria goes deeper on this.
Kill Fee and Cancellation
Clients cancel. A kill fee compensates you for time booked and work started when they pull the plug.
If the Client cancels after work has begun, the deposit is forfeited and the Client will pay for all work completed up to the cancellation date, plus a cancellation (kill) fee of [amount/percentage]. Cancellation must be given in writing.
Intellectual Property, and When It Transfers
This is the clause that quietly protects you most. Under Nigerian practice, a freelancer retains ownership of their work unless the contract explicitly transfers it. Use that default to your advantage: make the IP transfer conditional on full payment.
The Contractor retains all intellectual property rights in the deliverables until full payment is received. Upon receipt of the final payment in full, ownership of the agreed final deliverables transfers to the Client. Pre-existing tools and source files remain the Contractor's property unless separately licensed.
The logic is simple and internationally standard: no payment, no ownership. If the client uses unpaid-for work, they are now infringing your copyright, a far stronger position than merely chasing an invoice. Keep your editable source files until the money clears.
Confidentiality / NDA
Many clients will ask you to sign an NDA; you should also protect yourself. A mutual confidentiality clause keeps both sides' sensitive information private and lets you keep the work in your portfolio with permission.
Each party will keep confidential any non-public information disclosed during the engagement. The Contractor may display the completed work in their portfolio unless the Client requests otherwise in writing.
Indemnity and Limitation of Liability
This clause stops a small project from becoming a catastrophic lawsuit. Limitation of liability caps what you could ever be forced to pay, typically at the value of the contract.
