The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has said that social safety nets and insurance policies will be provided for workers who may lose their jobs during the global energy transition.

Ajaero made this disclosure at ongoing COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the NLC organised a side event with the theme: ‘Justice for workers in the just transition’, which is designed to fight for the rights of workers as talks to move to cleaner energy gains momentum across the world.

He said this as the world commences the move away from fossil fuels with calls already made for a ‘just transition‘ that will leave no one behind.

This set of people includes those who work in fossil fuel companies and whose jobs might be affected as a result of the global energy transition.

“Despite the global perception of job losses, I don’t seem to believe so, especially coming from the energy sector,” Ajaero said.

“A transition that will bring about energy sufficiency and eradicate power poverty would be almost 100,000 megawatts or more.

“And then this diversification in the process of bringing clean energy will create more jobs and not job losses.

“Yes we battle to reduce emissions, however, more jobs will be created. These are virgin areas that if we manage well and check the level of emissions, we’ll have more workers working.”

Ajaero, however, added that in anticipation of the transition, as representatives of workers organisations, the NLC as a body will make provisions for social safety nets, pension policies and insurance policies for people who may lose their jobs.

He said he thinks that is an area for the Labour Union in Nigeria because the pension and insurance policies today are grossly inadequate.
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