Digital gig economy in Lagos: worker networks, precarity, and identity

Thesis Abstract

The study examines the digital gig economy in Lagos, focusing on how online platforms shape worker networks, precarity, and identity among gig workers in urban Nigeria. The overarching problem is the limited understanding of how platform-mediated work reconfigures social ties, livelihood stability, and self-perception in a rapidly digitizing informal economy. The aim is to illuminate the social organization of gig work, the mechanisms of precarity, and the identity performances of workers navigating platform-driven labor in Lagos. Specific objectives are (1) to map the structure of worker networks across key platforms (e.g., ride-hailing, delivery, and micro-task apps); (2) to assess how platform policies, ratings, and algorithmic management influence job security and income variability; (3) to examine how workers construct occupational identities amidst fluctuating earnings, peer support, and stigma; (4) to analyze coping strategies, including collective action and informal collaborations, that mitigate precarity; and (5) to evaluate implications for urban livelihoods, governance, and social policy. The study adopts a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and ethnographic observation. The population comprises Lagos-based gig workers aged 18 and above who have used at least one major digital platform for a minimum of six consecutive months. A stratified random sample of 400 gig workers will be surveyed across three platform categories (rides, deliveries, and micro-tasks), complemented by 40 in-depth interviews with platform drivers, couriers, and task workers, and 6 months of participant observation in selected hubs. Data collection instruments include a structured questionnaire capturing earnings volatility, job satisfaction, social network metrics (e.g., density, bridging ties, and perceived social support), and identity indicators; semi-structured interview guides probing perceived precarity, platform relations, and coping mechanisms; and ethnographic field notes detailing daily work routines, informal support groups, and spatial-temporal patterns of activity. Validity and reliability are addressed through pilot testing (n=40), Cronbach’s alpha for scale items (target ??0.70), and triangulation across survey, interviews, and fieldnotes. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression to identify predictors of income volatility and job satisfaction, and structural equation modeling to test relationships among networks, precarity, and identity construction. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically via NVivo, guided by grounded theory coding procedures to generate emergent themes on networked solidarity, stigma, and identity performance. A conceptual framework integrating social network theory, precarity theory, and identity theory will guide interpretation, with reference to relevant theories such as Granovetter’s strength of weak ties, Lavalette’s precarious labor, and Goffman’s dramaturgical identity. Expected findings include (a) diverse network configurations that both enable access to gigs and reproduce competition and spillover effects; (b) income volatility linked to platform policies, peak timing, and algorithmic prioritization, contributing to sustained financial insecurity for a substantial subset of workers; (c) identity work involving professional self-presentation, solidarity-building through online and offline networks, and negotiation of stigma associated with informal or “gig” status; (d) evidence of adaptive strategies such as mutual aid circles, micro-alliances, and collective negotiation attempts with platform operators; and (e) policy-relevant insights into urban governance, social protection, and digital labor regulation. The study contributes to knowledge by integrating networked labor analyses with precarity and identity literatures in a rapidly growing African megacity context, offering empirical evidence on the social embeddedness of platform work and its implications for livelihoods and urban social policy. The main conclusion anticipates that while digital platforms expand market access and flexibility for Lagos gig workers, they simultaneously intensify precarity and reshape occupational identities through algorithmic management and peer networks, suggesting that policy interventions should target social protection, collective bargaining avenues, and platform accountability. Recommendations include (i) establishing portable social protection schemes aligned with gig work, (ii) supporting formalized collectives or associations to negotiate better terms, (iii) promoting transparency in platform algorithms and earnings reporting, and (iv) enhancing urban planning and digital literacy programs to strengthen workers’ networked resilience.