Household cook dey prepare daily meal — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For Lagos, good cook save money well well compared to eating out and e make sure family eat healthier.
📋 Duties & responsibility
•Preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
•Menu planning and grocery shopping (market runs)
•Kitchen organization and food storage
•Maintaining kitchen hygiene standards
•Catering for guests and small parties
•Adapting to family dietary preferences/restrictions
•Managing food budget and reporting expenses
🎓 Qualifications
•Cooking experience — 2+ years preferred
•Knowledge of Nigerian cuisine (essential)
•Continental cooking skills (bonus for Island families)
•Hygiene consciousness
•Market navigation skills — knowing where to buy quality ingredients cheaply
•Budget management — tracking food expenses
L
Lagos.Cool Editorial
4 June 2026 · 2 min read
Lagos.Cool Editorial
Cook cost ₦40,000-₦150,000/month but save ₦80,000-₦200,000/month for eating out. Family of 4 wey eat lunch and dinner for Mama Put cost ₦90,000-₦120,000/month. Cook for ₦60,000 + ₦80,000 food budget = ₦140,000/month for all meal — same or less, and healthier.
⏰ A day for di life
7 AM: Breakfast prep — egg, bread, plantain, tea. 9 AM: Market run (3 days/week) or kitchen prep. 11 AM-1 PM: Lunch — soup, stew, rice or swallow. 2-4 PM: Kitchen clean, store food, wash plate. 5-7 PM: Dinner prep, serve family. 7:30 PM: Final cleanup.
🤔 You suppose hire one?
✓ Hire if:
✓Family of 3+ eating most meals at home
✓Weekly food spend already exceeds ₦40,000 on takeout
✗Budget under ₦60,000/month for food + cook combined
✗You enjoy cooking and have time for it
✗Most meals are simple (Indomie, sandwiches, etc.)
💡 Hiring tips
1Do cooking test: make candidate prepare 3 dish during trial
2Test market knowledge: give dem ₦10,000 for specific meal ingredients — see wetin dem bring back
3Cook wey do market run should give receipt or market book
4Agree on weekly food budget
🚩 Red flag wey you suppose watch
✗Inflated market prices (the cook keeping the difference — very common)
✗Wasteful cooking portions (cooking too much, taking leftovers home)
✗Poor hygiene practices in the kitchen
✗Inability to cook more than 3-4 dishes
✗Resistance to trying new recipes
✓ Pros
✓Saves money vs eating out — ₦80K-₦200K/month savings
✓Healthier meals — you control ingredients and portions
✓Reduces daily decision fatigue about food
✓Handles market runs and food budget management
✓Essential for families with specific dietary needs
✗ Cons
✗Food budget is a hidden cost (₦60K-₦120K/month on top of salary)
✗Market inflation risk — cook may overstate prices
✗Limited menu variety if cook has narrow skill set
✗Food waste management
✗Combined cook/househelp roles lead to burnout
🔍 Where to find
Personal referrals — best for trustworthy cooksCatering companies (for experienced chefs transitioning to private)Facebook groups: Lagos Cook Jobs, Private Chef LagosAgencies: Eden Life, Staffing Solutions
FAQ
Cook / Chef for Lagos dey earn ₦40,000–₦80,000/month for mainland and ₦60,000–₦150,000/month for Island.