A coalition of civil society leaders and media advocates has called for urgent national action to end the entrenched abuse of domestic workers in Nigeria, warning that without unionisation, enforcement of laws, and sustained media scrutiny, millions will remain trapped in exploitation.
 
The call was made at a media stakeholders’ engagement on the rights of domestic workers, where the Chief Executive Officer of CEE-HOPE, Betty Abah, and media advocate, Chizoba Ogbeche, delivered searing accounts of abuse, neglect, and systemic failure.
 
Abah said domestic workers remain among the most violated and dehumanised groups in the country, stressing that unionisation and public awareness are essential to restoring their dignity and protecting their futures.
 
“Domestic workers are treated as expendable,” she said. “They absorb the frustrations and misfortunes of households, and when things go wrong, they are blamed, abused, or discarded.”

She explained that the engagement followed months of consultations with community leaders, labour unions, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders, which identified the media as a critical force for change.
 
“The media plays a very strategic role in amplifying unheard voices and shaping public attitudes,” Abah said, acknowledging the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the contributions of media advocate Chizoba Ogbeche.
   
Abah apologised for the delayed engagement, attributing it to CEE-HOPE’s involvement in responding to an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Makoko, Lagos.