Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to its partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for the promotion of social justice and decent work globally.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made this commitment while responding to the report of the Director-General of ILO, Gilbert Huongbo, at the 113th Conference of the Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dingyadi said Nigeria shares the ILO’s vision of a just transition and acknowledges that sustainable development hinges on inclusive economic growth, fair labour practices, and robust democratic institutions.
The minister observed that the Director-General’s report, ‘Jobs, Rights and Growth: Reinforcing the Connection’, aligns with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu, which is designed to institute sustained socio-economic prosperity in the country through attaining job creation, inclusiveness, food security, poverty eradication, economic growth, access to capital, improved security of life and property, rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Dingyadi noted that Houngbo’s report rightly focused on accelerating action toward social justice as a driver for sustainable peace and development.
The Minister, who led the Nigerian delegation to the Conference, also emphasised the commitment of the Nigerian government with its tripartite constituents to advancing social justice.
He said Nigeria, in furtherance to this commitment, signed on to the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice, geared towards building an equitable society for all Nigerians and partnering with the ILO to achieve its goals and global aspirations for the common good.
Dingyadi highlighted other efforts of Nigeria in this regard listing the approval of a collectively negotiated new minimum wage in July 2024, aimed at ensuring improved living conditions for workers, as part of a broader strategy for economic fairness, fair distribution of economic gains and decent work.
He added that Nigeria has intensified efforts to tackle child labour and forced labour, as a pathfinder country under Alliance 8.7, disclosing that the country is reviewing national legislation, building capacities of partners, strengthening institutions and implementing community-based programmes to rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable children.
“We are conscious that over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force operates in the informal economy. Therefore, through various MSME support programmes, tax reforms, and digital registration drives, we are transitioning informal businesses into the formal economy, while expanding social protection coverage,” he stated.
The Minister added that the Nigerian government recently reviewed the National Employment Policy to ensure decent work for Nigerians across sectors.
He disclosed that Nigeria has scaled up investments in digital economy, infrastructure and ICT training through initiatives such as the National Digital Literacy Framework to ensure that the youth and workers are equipped for jobs of the future.
Dingyadi maintained that Nigeria is persuaded that tripartism is an essential principle for lasting industrial peace and harmony, adding: “We have institutionalised mechanisms for collective bargaining and regular consultations among constituents to ensure peaceful industrial relations and collaborative policymaking.”
