Terms & Conditions

1.1In these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:

• “Platform” means the sydHustle mobile application, the website at sydhustle.com, and every related service operated by the Company;
• “User” means any person who registers an account on, or otherwise accesses, the Platform, and “you” shall be construed accordingly;
• “Hustler” means a User who offers services on the Platform, whether by publishing a Skill or by applying to perform a Hustle;
• “Provider” means a User who posts a Hustle requesting that services be performed;
• “Client” means any User who procures services through the Platform, and includes a Provider who posts a Hustle and a User who books a Skill;
• “Hustle” means a request for services posted on the Platform by a Provider;
• “Skill” means a listing published by a Hustler describing services the Hustler offers, which a User may book;
• “Service Contract” means the contract for the performance of services formed directly between a Client and a Hustler pursuant to Clause 5;
• “Wallet” means the stored-value facility made available within the Platform pursuant to Clause 6;
• “Escrow”means the arrangement described in Clause 6 by which a Client’s payment is held pending completion of a Service Contract;
• “Transaction Value” means the amount agreed between a Client and a Hustler for the performance of a Service Contract, as recorded on the Platform; and
• “Applicable Law” means the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including without limitation the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 (as amended), and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

1.2Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation. Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa. References to a statute include that statute as amended, re-enacted or replaced.

1.3These Terms are concluded electronically. You agree that your electronic acceptance, and records of it kept by the Company, satisfy any legal requirement that the agreement be in writing or signed, in accordance with the Evidence Act 2011 (as amended).

2.1The Platform is an online marketplace that connects Clients who require services with Hustlers who offer them. Clients may post Hustles for Hustlers to apply to, or book a Hustler’s published Skill directly. The Platform additionally provides in-app messaging, identity verification, payment processing, Escrow and dispute-resolution facilities in support of those connections.

2.2The Company is an intermediary only. The Company is not a party to any Service Contract; does not itself perform, and does not supervise the performance of, any services; does not employ Hustlers; and does not guarantee the quality, safety, timeliness, legality or fitness for purpose of any services offered or performed through the Platform. Hustlers are independent contractors acting on their own account. Nothing in these Terms, and nothing done on the Platform, creates any employment, agency, partnership, joint venture or fiduciary relationship between the Company and any User.

2.3The Company is not a bank and does not hold itself out as one. Payment, collection and settlement services connected with the Platform are provided through third-party payment service providers duly licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

3.1You may use the Platform only if you are at least eighteen (18) years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract under Applicable Law.

3.2You undertake to provide information that is true, accurate, current and complete when registering, and to keep it so. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for all activity occurring under your account. You must notify the Company promptly through the channels in Clause 17 of any suspected unauthorised use.

3.3One person may maintain only one account, which may act as both a Client and a Hustler. Accounts are personal and may not be sold, transferred or shared.

4.1To protect Users, certain actions on the Platform — including offering a Skill, applying to a Hustle and booking a Hustler — require completion of identity verification. You consent to the Company verifying, through duly licensed verification providers, government-issued identification and such other information as may reasonably be required, in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Company’s Privacy Policy.

4.2A verification badge signifies only that a government-issued identity document was checked against the name on the account at the time of verification. It is not an endorsement, guarantee or warranty by the Company of any User’s skill, honesty or conduct.

5.1Booking a Skill. A User may book a published Skill. The booking opens a conversation between the Client and the Hustler in which the scope of work, schedule and price are agreed.

5.2Applying to a Hustle.A Hustler may apply to a posted Hustle. The application opens a conversation in which the parties may negotiate the price and particulars. The price stated on a Hustle is the Provider’s asking price and may be varied by agreement in the conversation before payment is made.

5.3A Service Contract is formed directly between the Client and the Hustler when the Client commits payment of the agreed Transaction Value into Escrow. The Service Contract is between those two Users alone; the Company’s role is limited to that described in Clause 2.

5.4Precise addresses are withheld from browsing surfaces by design. A Hustler receives the exact location of an in-person engagement, and directions to it, only after payment has been locked in Escrow.

6.1Payments on the Platform are made from the Client’s Wallet, which may be funded by bank transfer, card or such other methods as the Platform supports from time to time, processed by CBN-licensed payment service providers.

6.2Escrow.When a Client commits payment for a Service Contract, the Transaction Value is debited from the Client’s Wallet and held in Escrow. Funds held in Escrow are not available to either party and are released only in accordance with Clause 7, Clause 9 or Clause 10.

6.3Wallet balances are stored value, not deposits. They do not earn interest, are not insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, and are held with the Company’s licensed payment partners for the purpose of settling transactions on the Platform. You may withdraw your available Wallet balance to your verified bank account at any time, subject to Clause 8 and to anti-fraud checks.

6.4Off-platform payment is prohibited for any engagement arranged through the Platform. Taking payment outside the Platform deprives both parties of Escrow protection and the dispute process, and is a material breach of these Terms that may result in suspension or termination under Clause 14.

7.1Funds held in Escrow are released to the Hustler’s Wallet, less the fees in Clause 8, upon the earlier of: (a) the Client’s confirmation within the Platform that the services have been completed; or (b) the determination of a dispute in the Hustler’s favour under Clause 10.

7.2Where a Client fails to either confirm completion or raise a dispute within a reasonable period after the Hustler marks the work complete, the Company may, after notice to the Client, release the funds to the Hustler. This prevents payment being withheld indefinitely by inaction.

7.3Release of funds is an administrative act performed by the Company as intermediary. It is not an adjudication of, and does not extinguish, any claim either party may have against the other under the Service Contract.

8.1Service Fee. On the completion of a Service Contract, the Company charges a service fee of ten per cent (10%) of the Transaction Value, deducted from the amount released to the Hustler.

8.2Escrow Administration Fee. Where a Service Contract is cancelled or the Transaction Value is refunded after funds have been locked in Escrow, the Company charges an escrow administration fee of five per cent (5%) of the Transaction Value, reflecting the cost of payment processing, holding and administration.

8.3Fees are dynamic and may vary by category, promotion or feature. The fee applicable to a transaction is disclosed within the Platform before you commit payment, and the fee so disclosed prevails over the indicative rates in Clauses 8.1 and 8.2 for that transaction. The Company may revise its standard fees from time to time by notice within the Platform; revised fees apply only to transactions entered into after the notice.

8.4Optional paid features — including promotional placement (“boosts”) and SMS notification subscriptions — are charged at the prices displayed at the point of purchase. Purchases made through the Apple App Store or Google Play are additionally subject to the refund policies of those stores.

8.5All fees are stated inclusive of applicable taxes unless otherwise indicated. Each User remains responsible for their own tax obligations arising from amounts earned through the Platform.

9.1Before payment is committed to Escrow, either party may withdraw from a proposed engagement without charge.

9.2After payment is committed but before performance has commenced, the Client may cancel, in which case the Transaction Value is returned to the Client’s Wallet less the escrow administration fee in Clause 8.2.

9.3Where the Hustler fails to perform, or the parties agree to cancel, the Transaction Value is refunded to the Client’s Wallet. The Company may waive the escrow administration fee where the cancellation is attributable to the Hustler’s default.

9.4Where performance has commenced, cancellation and any apportionment of the Transaction Value are resolved by agreement between the parties or, failing agreement, under Clause 10.

9.5Nothing in this Clause limits any right to a refund or redress that a consumer enjoys under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which rights are not excluded or restricted by these Terms.

10.1A party to a Service Contract who contends that the other has not performed, or has not performed properly, may raise a dispute within the Platform. While a dispute is open, the funds in Escrow remain locked.

10.2The Company will review the dispute on the materials available to it — including the in-app conversation, the terms recorded on the Platform and any evidence the parties submit — and will determine, acting reasonably and in good faith, whether the funds in Escrow should be released to the Hustler, refunded to the Client, or apportioned. Each party will be given the opportunity to be heard, and an appeal channel is provided within the Platform.

10.3The Company’s determination is an administrative resolution of the destination of the escrowed funds only. It does not bar either party from pursuing any claim against the other before a court of competent jurisdiction, and the Company makes no determination of legal liability between the parties.

10.4Because in-app conversations are the record on which disputes are decided, Users are advised to keep all negotiation and agreement concerning an engagement within the Platform.

Every Hustler undertakes to:

• describe their Skills, qualifications, experience and prices truthfully, and hold any licence or certification that Applicable Law requires for the services they offer;
• perform each Service Contract with reasonable skill, care and diligence, in accordance with what was agreed with the Client;
• attend engagements punctually, or communicate promptly where that becomes impossible;
• comply with Applicable Law in the performance of all services, including health, safety and licensing requirements;
• keep all negotiation, agreement and payment within the Platform; and
• account for their own taxes on amounts earned through the Platform.

Every Client undertakes to:

• describe the work required honestly and lawfully when posting a Hustle or booking a Skill;
• not request services that are illegal, unsafe, or that would require the Hustler to breach Applicable Law;
• provide a safe environment and reasonable cooperation for in-person engagements;
• pay through the Platform, and confirm completion promptly and honestly when the services have been performed; and
• raise any dissatisfaction through the dispute process in Clause 10 rather than by withholding confirmation.

13.1You must not, in connection with the Platform:

• post, request or perform services that are unlawful, dangerous or fraudulent, or that infringe the rights of any person;
• circumvent the Platform’s fees or Escrow by soliciting or taking payment outside the Platform for an engagement arranged through it;
• impersonate any person, misrepresent your identity or credentials, or verify an account with documents that are not your own;
• harass, threaten, defame, exploit or discriminate against any User, or use the Platform to locate a person for any purpose unconnected with a lawful engagement;
• publish false, incentivised or retaliatory reviews, or manipulate ratings, impressions or placement;
• use the Platform for money laundering, terrorism financing or any purpose contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022;
• introduce malicious code, scrape, reverse-engineer or interfere with the Platform, or access it by automated means without the Company’s written consent, contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 (as amended); or
• assist, encourage or permit any other person to do any of the foregoing.

14.1You may close your account at any time within the app (Settings → Delete Account). Closure does not affect accrued rights and obligations, including any pending Service Contract, dispute or fee.

14.2The Company may suspend or restrict an account, remove content, or terminate an account, where it reasonably believes that the User has breached these Terms, the Community Guidelines or Applicable Law, or where suspension is necessary to protect other Users, the Company or the integrity of the Platform. Save where immediate action is reasonably required, the Company will give notice and an opportunity to respond, and an appeal channel is provided.

14.3On termination, funds properly standing to your credit in your Wallet, and not the subject of an open dispute, investigation or chargeback, will be remitted to your verified bank account.

14.4Clauses which by their nature should survive termination — including Clauses 8, 10, 15, 16 and 18 — survive it.

15.1The Platform, its software, design, trade marks, logos and branding are the property of the Company or its licensors. No right or licence in them is granted to you save the limited, personal, non-transferable right to use the Platform in accordance with these Terms.

15.2You retain ownership of content you post. You grant the Company a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, reproduce, display and distribute that content solely for the operation, improvement and promotion of the Platform. You warrant that you hold all rights necessary in any content you post.

15.3Ratings and reviews must reflect a genuine transaction experience. The Company may remove content that breaches these Terms and, where a review is disputed, will handle it through the review-appeal process provided in the Platform.

16.1The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company disclaims all warranties, express or implied, concerning the Platform and concerning the conduct, services or content of any User.

16.2The Company is not liable for the acts or omissions of any User, for the performance or non-performance of any Service Contract, or for any loss, damage or injury arising out of an engagement between Users, save to the extent such loss is caused by the Company’s own negligence or wilful default.

16.3To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for loss of profits, revenue, goodwill or data, and the Company’s aggregate liability to any User arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the total fees paid by that User to the Company in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

16.4Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any liability which cannot be excluded or limited under Applicable Law, including rights conferred on consumers by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.

16.5You will indemnify and hold the Company harmless against claims, losses and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your content, or your performance of, or conduct in connection with, any Service Contract, save to the extent caused by the Company’s own default.

17.1The Company processes personal data as a data controller in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and its Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms by reference. This includes data supplied at registration, identity-verification data processed through licensed providers, approximate location used to show nearby opportunities and distances, and records of transactions and communications on the Platform.

17.2Identity documents are used for verification only. Data collected for verification is not used to profile Users or to drive recommendations. Precise addresses are never displayed to browsing Users; only coarse, neighbourhood-level locations and distances are shown.

17.3You have the rights conferred by the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, including rights of access, rectification and erasure, exercisable through the contact channels in Clause 19 or the controls within the app.

18.1These Terms, and any dispute or claim (whether contractual or non-contractual) arising out of or in connection with them or the Platform, are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

18.2The parties shall first attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute with the Company amicably through the contact channels in Clause 19. Where a dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) days, the parties may by agreement refer it to mediation in accordance with the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023.

18.3Subject to Clause 18.2, the parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of Oyo State sitting in Ibadan for the determination of any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Platform.

18.4Nothing in this Clause deprives a consumer of the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, or of any other non-excludable right or forum conferred by Applicable Law.

Support and notices to the Company may be directed to:

• Email: support@sydhustle.com
• WhatsApp: 0708 856 9014 (@sydhustle)
• Instagram: @sydhustleapp

The Company may give notices to Users by in-app notice, push notification or email to the address on the account, and such notice is deemed received when sent.

20.1Variation. The Company may amend these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified within the Platform at least seven (7) days before they take effect, and continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance. The version and effective date appear at the head of this document.

20.2Severance. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, it shall be severed and the remainder shall continue in full force.

20.3No waiver. A failure or delay by the Company in exercising any right is not a waiver of it.

20.4Assignment. You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms. The Company may assign or novate these Terms to an affiliate or to a successor in the course of a merger, acquisition or reorganisation, with notice to Users.

20.5Force majeure. The Company is not liable for any failure or delay caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, civil unrest, failures of telecommunications or payment infrastructure, or acts of government.

20.6Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Community Standards, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company concerning the Platform and supersede all prior understandings on that subject.