By Godwin Sogolo

Whenever I have the opportunity to speak about work ethics, I usually start with a personal experience, concerning a major weakness I had during my younger years – a weakness I did not have the courage to acknowledge and speak about publicly until the celebration of my 80th birthday early this year. Simply put, I was not streetwise as a young man. In plain language, I was naïve. And, to compound matters, I apparently even looked foolish, as one friend bluntly told me.

As a result, many of my peers found it easy to take advantage of me and often made me the butt of their jokes. Some even assumed – without the slightest basis – that they were more intelligent than I was.

These experiences –combined with my humble family background– made me less assertive than I should have been and, consequently, an easy target for bullying and humiliation.

Even as I grew older, I continued to encounter bullying from certain friends and colleagues, both older and younger, though in a different form – intellectual bullying. For example, some acquaintances who had spent only three years as undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan – with no further association thereafter – would presume to lecture me about the academic life and culture of the very institution where I had spent more than 30 years teaching, conducting research, and participating in its intellectual life.

To this day, some of them do not hesitate to impose their opinions and judgments on me, even in matters that lie squarely within my professional competence and on which I possess far greater knowledge and experience.

Human nature and work
In discussing work ethics, it is necessary to begin with certain fundamental facts about human nature, society, and social interaction.

Work as an integral aspect of human nature
Human beings are, by nature, both biological organisms and rational persons. As biological beings, we share with other living organisms the necessity of working to secure the means of survival. Therefore, work is an integral aspect of human nature. Unlike other animals, however, human beings do not work merely to survive.

They also work to create, to achieve, and to derive meaning and fulfilment in life. Not only does work produce the means of livelihood, it also provides a sense of purpose, dignity, creativity, and self-fulfilment. In this sense, work is both a means to an end and an end in itself – enabling us to earn a living while also deriving satisfaction from the process.

By contrast, prolonged idleness or inactivity is contrary to human nature. Although periods of rest and leisure are essential for physical and mental recreation, persistent inactivity breeds boredom, frustration, apathy, and a loss of purpose. It could even be dangerous to human wellbeing. According to a popular saying, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

Work from a religious perspective
From a religious perspective, work is presented as an essential part of God’s design for humanity. In the opening chapters of the Old Testament, we are told that “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).

Also, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reinforces the same principle with his well-known admonition: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).

Together, these passages affirm that work is not merely an economic necessity but also a moral and spiritual responsibility.

Self-preservation and enlightened self-interest
Self-preservation is the first law of nature and a fundamental fact of human existence. It is contrary to human nature for anyone to act consistently against his or her own survival or self-interest.

However, the concept of self-interest is much broader than it may initially appear. Human beings are social animals whose survival and well-being depend on living and cooperating with others. Consequently, the pursuit of one’s individual interest is often best achieved through the pursuit of the common good.

This principle is known as enlightened self-interest. It recognises that an individual’s long-term welfare is inseparable from the welfare of the community to which he or she belongs. In other words, we advance our own interests by working for the collective good. In every organised society, this is the surest and most sustainable path to individual security, prosperity, and survival.

The social contract theory
An eloquent illustration of human ingenuity to ensure survival is the Social Contract Theory. Although the social contract theory is not a historical account of an actual agreement, it remains one of the most intellectually creative ideas for explaining the origin and legitimacy of organised society and the state.

According to the theory, society rests upon an imaginary contract between the individual and the state.

Under this notional agreement, individuals voluntarily surrender some of their natural rights and freedoms to the authority of the state in exchange for the protection of their lives and property, the maintenance of law and order, and the numerous benefits and privileges provided by an organised society.

The employment contract with NOUN
Although the Social Contract Theory is essentially a theoretical construct, your employment contract with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is a practical expression of the same principle. The difference is that whereas the social contract is hypothetical, your contract with the University is a legally binding agreement voluntarily entered into by both parties.

Under this contract, the University assumes important obligations in return for the services of its employees. The University is expected to provide a safe, conducive, and well-equipped working environment, including adequate office accommodation, reliable electricity, internet connectivity, and other facilities necessary for effective performance. The University is also obliged to maintain a fair and transparent system of remuneration and staff welfare, encompassing salaries, allowances, promotions, appointments, and other legitimate benefits.

To motivate and encourage its workforce, the University’s Management is expected to pursue policies that promote staff welfare and professional development. These include sponsoring staff to attend conferences, workshops, seminars, and other capacity-building programmes; providing appropriate allowances; ensuring that promotions are processed and implemented promptly; and offering staff welfare packages, including the payment of a 13th-month salary bonus.

In return, every employee has a corresponding obligation to discharge his or her duties diligently and conscientiously; demonstrate integrity, professionalism, and decorum; maintain cordial relationships with colleagues and students; protect university property; and refrain from any act or omission capable of tarnishing the image or bringing the University into disrepute.

Work ethics
Generally, work ethic refers to the attitudes, values and habits that shape how individuals approach their work. It encompasses such qualities as diligence, punctuality, honesty, commitment, responsibility, and accountability.

Sogolo is an Emeritus Professor who has taught and conducted research in Philosophy for over five decades – at the University of Ibadan, Cardiff University of Wales and currently at the National Open University of Nigeria. He also served as a member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspapers in the 1980s and 1990s. He delivered this lecture at the One-Day Staff Retreat, organised by the Wuse II Study Centre, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, on Saturday, July 11, 2026.