Govt commends ILO for sustaining interventions in Nigeria

The Federal Government has commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for sustaining its interventionist programmes in the country.The ILO Abuja office, originally established in Lagos in 1959, has a mandate to oversee ILO activities and relations with its members in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as acts as the ILO liaison office for ECOWAS.

A statement by the head of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Patience Onuobia, quoted the minister as saying: “We want to assure you that this administration is committed to all the things you are bringing to us, which are also in line and in tune with our Renewed Hope Agenda. So, we will do whatever we can to give the needed support and cooperation to ensure its fruition and success.”

The Minister also assured the Country Director that Nigeria would extend a warm welcome and all necessary courtesies to the Director General of ILO, Gilbert Houngbo during his visit to the country in February.

Earlier, the ILO Country Director, Vanessa Phala had briefed the Minister on the activities of the organisation in Nigeria and sought the continued support and collaboration of the Ministry in the implementation of ILO programmes in the country.

Phala stated that the ILO would continue to provide both technical and financial support to Nigeria in all critical areas, including occupational safety and health, labour migration, industrial relations and social protection, as well as in efforts to eliminate child labour.

She also disclosed that the ILO, working in partnership with UNICEF, would extend its social protection interventions to four additional states in the country this year.