The perfect gift for that special colleague at work

Valentine’s Day offers the opportunity to show and remind your coworkers how much you appreciate and value them. For those who have that special colleague, February 14 could be the perfect day to get him or her a special gift.

It is, however, important that you keep your surprise simple and professional because you should be reminded that this is a coworker and not someone you have an intimate relationship.

If you are in  Nigeria, below are some gifts and Valentine’s Day ideas for coworkers to make the day supremely memorable. Remember to keep your gifts and ideas simple and small. Don’t buy a 60 inch smart TV or a washing machine. They are bulky and a bit too much for a Valentine’s Day gift idea.

Customised T-shirt

A customised T-shirt would cost you between N3,000 and N7,000 depending on where you are getting it done. If you are settling for a customised T-shirt, it is very important to know what size this coworker wears and what colours he/she likes. You don’t want to customise a red T-shirt for a coworker who dislikes red T-shirts. Customised T-shirts are pocket-friendly and if you write something really nice, you would score really high on the recipient’s scale of appreciation.

Personalised mug or water bottle

Mugs and water bottles are some of the few things we use every day at work. This makes them an amazing gift for Valentine’s Day. Even if your office has a water dispenser and disposable cups, your colleague would really appreciate a mug or water bottle with his/her name printed on it and carries words that reminds him/her how much he/she is appreciated.

Rechargeable power bank

Over the years, the supply of electricity in Nigeria has remained epileptic and has so far, defied solutions. This makes the gift of a rechargeable power bank an amazing gift. One really cool thing about the rechargeable power bank is that it comes in an array of exciting shapes and designs. If you intend to get one of these, one you could try is the Pokemon Go Dual USB ‘powerbank’ because it is really cute, portable, can charge two devices simultaneously and has an over-charge protection. Your budget for this should be between N5,000 and N8,000.

Rubik’s Cube

For those who might not know what this is, the Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ern? Rubik. It was originally known as the Magic Cube and the goal of the puzzle is to return the cube to a point where each side has a single colour after it has been randomised by repeated rotations.

It is a great workout for the brain and has health benefits as well. In Nigeria, a Rubik’s Cube can be bought for between N3,000 and N6,000. It’s a great gift idea for your coworker on Valentine’s Day especially if he/she does not own one already.

3D VR glasses and headsets

If your budget for a gift for that special person at work falls between N7,300 and N15,000 and if he/she has a soft spot for gadgets, then you should consider getting him/her a 3D VR Glasses or headset.

3D VR glasses or headsets are 3 Dimensional Virtual Reality glasses or headsets as the case may be. They provide immersive virtual reality to the wearer and are widely used with computer games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers.

Unlike headsets with integrated displays, VR headsets are essentially enclosures in which a smartphone can be inserted into.

Google Cardboard and 3D VR Headsets are becoming popular in Nigeria and would be appreciated by that deserving coworker.

USB flash drive

In Nigeria, USB flash drives are crucial to the storage and transfer of files. Therefore, owning one always proves exciting especially when you realise that regardless of its storage capacity, it will get full especially if you store large files on it.

They would make a great gift for coworkers on Valentine’s Day. If you plan to buy a USB flash drive with a storage capacity of between 16GB and 32GB, your budget will fall between N3,000 and N6,000. Remember, there are loads of lovely designs to select from.

Scented candles

Scented candles always have a place in the home and in Nigeria, there is a wide variety of fragrances to choose from.

Did you know that scented candles have health benefits? For instance, they release cool, health-reinforcing soy, which gives the body an extraordinary sense of calm.

Executive pen

If your favourite coworker is on the very stylish side, then you could get him/her an executive pen. You could buy the Crocodile Executive Pen or the Picasso Executive Pen, which costs between N5,250 and N11,750.

Books

When we say books, we don’t mean books you like. We mean books your number one colleague likes. If he/she is strictly into horror, crime or adventure, don’t buy a romance novel because you think it suits the Valentine’s Day theme. That’s not the way to go.  In the same notion, if she is a health nut (you know she is because when you have lunch at work she always brings her own food, and she talks about nutrition, fitness, and diets), buy her Dr. Agatson’s book “The South Beach Diet”. She will enjoy it, and she will be excited to try the food recipes and even go online to learn more. 

Share a special lunch

You could place an order for a very special meal; lunch perhaps and share this with your numero uno colleague. This should not be one of your regular meals. It could be a foreign cuisine but make sure it is something both of you can enjoy. If your office has a pantry, then better because this should be the ideal venue for your surprise lunch with him/her. This is a great idea if your office allows as much as one hour for lunch break. This would afford you enough time to enjoy the surprise and dramatics as they unfold.

Final thoughts

As you prepare to buy that awesome colleague of yours a gift, be sure you have a specific budget for this. Don’t be impulsive and remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t exclusively for lovers.

What else do you think would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your favourite coworker?