A cover letter sits in front of your CV. Done well, it earns the recruiter five more minutes with your application. Done badly - or omitted - it signals you did not care enough to tailor the pitch. Here is the four-paragraph structure that works in Nigeria.
The structure
- Paragraph 1 - the hook. Which role, where you saw it, one line about why you are a strong fit.
- Paragraph 2 - the proof. Your single most relevant achievement, with numbers. Make the recruiter curious.
- Paragraph 3 - the fit. Why this specific company, not just any company. Reference something specific they have shipped or said publicly.
- Paragraph 4 - the close. Thank, state willingness to interview, give the best way to reach you.
A worked example
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to apply for the Senior Backend Engineer role posted on Openings on 10 October. I have been building fintech infrastructure in Lagos for four years and your merchant-services team is doing exactly the kind of work I want to be part of.
At Flutterwave I rebuilt the KYC verification pipeline from a 48-hour process into a 10-minute automated service, cutting support tickets by 72% and freeing the compliance team to focus on edge cases. The playbook I used - breaking a monolith into event-driven services, instrumenting every hop, and shipping behind a feature flag - transfers directly to the scale challenges your merchant growth is creating.
I was particularly interested in the Carbon-powered API suite you launched in June. The decision to prioritise developer experience over feature breadth matches how I think about platform teams.
I would welcome the chance to discuss the role. You can reach me on 0801 234 5678 (WhatsApp) or at [email protected].
Warm regards,
Chidinma Okafor
The three rules
- One page maximum. Three paragraphs is often better than four.
- Name a human if you can. "Dear Hiring Manager" is acceptable but "Dear Adaeze" is better. Search LinkedIn for the hiring manager.
- No "I am writing to express my interest". It wastes the first line. Lead with the role title.
When to skip the cover letter
- The application form does not include a text field for one.
- You are applying through a recruiter who told you to send CV only.
- You have ten minutes to apply before the deadline - send the CV; the pitch is less important than being on time.
Ready to apply? Browse live openings and tailor your cover letter to each one.