The latest happening in the world of work in Nigeria is the unveiling of a new decent work agenda by stakeholders which took place in Abuja last week. The agenda is the most important document because it targets to further entrench decent work agenda and robustly produce its gains in the country. CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, reports:
THE International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), formally launched Nigeria’s Decent Work Country Programme III (DWCP III), meant to be implemented between 2023 and 2027.
The Decent Work Country Programme is an agenda that is set for every five years on the pursuit of decent work. The first agenda Nigeria set was for 2010 to 2015. Then, it was reviewed for a second phase that lasted till 2019. Again, it has also been reviewed to have a third phase that will last till 2027.
Decent work country programme is that document that incorporates the national development agenda into the tripartite pursuit of the pillars of decent work. Decent work has four main pillars: Employment creation, which emphasises the creation of employment for every body eligible to work; decent wages: bothering on the need for a living wage for people to minimally live above poverty line; right to work and association — this is in line with ILO Convention 87 on the right for workers to organise and unionised, and social dialogue and social protection. Meanwhile, issues around gender cuts across all the pillars, laying emphasis on the recognition of gender equity and equality in the world of work.
So, simply put, DWCP is a document that should drive decent work condition in a country. However, the agenda has apparently not been given the required attention over the year by Nigerian government at all levels. And the question is; will government implement the agenda within the period in view?
The ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Ms Vanessa Phala, who delivered the opening address at the lunching, stressed why it’s very important for the President Bola Tinubu-led government to prioritise implementation of the 2023 to 2027 decent work country agenda. “Decent work is central to achieving sustainable peace and social justice,” she said, adding that “Tripartism is at the core of the delivery of the DWCP and the ultimate attainment of the Decent Work Agenda. Most importantly, tripartism and social dialogue are central to the planning and implementation of a coherent and integrated ILO programme of assistance to constituents in member states.”
Ms Phala revealed that the constituents in Nigeria agreed on three priorities to be the main focus of driving the decent work agenda. “These priorities are: job creation for women, men, youth and persons with disabilities; rights at work; extending social protection.”
“The launching of the DWCP is aimed at sharing these priorities with all the relevant partners and informing Nigerians of the commitments to address pressing issues facing the country, such as youth unemployment, promoting fundamental principles and rights at work, and increasing social protection covered, especially to the most vulnerable, including workers in the informal economy. The importance of decent work in promoting inclusive growth cannot be over-emphasised.
She further said; “The DWCP is a forward-looking document that speaks to the targets and priorities of government development frameworks. It is our hope, therefore, that the full implementation of this DWCP will assist the people of Nigeria in achieving not only goal eight but the other goals, since these goals are interrelated. It will also support the government of Nigeria in implementing and achieving the aspirations of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises, amongst others, job creation, livelihood, and inclusivity for a better Nigeria.
“The DWCP being launched today is a tool to address the country’s social and economic challenges and ensure job-rich, inclusive, and sustainable growth. It is also an instrument that the government and social partners can use to mobilize resources needed to address productive employment and decent work.
“The ILO will continue to advocate social justice through the Global Coalition for Social Justice. The coalition presents renewed hope for young people and other vulnerable groups worldwide in their quest for decent job opportunities, as well as for governments and people wanting to benefit from peace and security and share the benefits of economic growth.”
On his part, Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, who led the stakeholders to perform the official lunching of the DWCP III, highlighted that “prevailing decent work deficits in Nigeria include absence of efficient employment and job creation opportunities and condition of underemployment; especially among the youth and women; high prevalence of child labour, forced labour and human trafficking; gaps in labour administration, including existence of obsolete extant labour laws and regulations; insufficient manpower and capacity for labour inspections; poor, unhealthy and unsafe working environments as well as gaps in social dialogue including anti-union stance of some employers.”
He went on to say that “implementation of Decent Work Country Programme III will ensure that existing and new jobs in both the public and private sectors are productive, provides opportunities for career progression and deliver a fair income and social security for the family. It will also ensure that the tenets of decent work are mainstreamed into all employment generation activities.”
The minister added; “It is instructive to note that the DWCP III aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021-2025), which aims to accelerate and sustain inclusive and private sector-led growth in the country. The objective of the plan is to generate 21 million jobs and lift 35 million people out of poverty over the plan period (2021-2025). This has brought to the fore the increasing responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in assisting ministries, departments and agencies to integrate decent work in national economic, social and environmental policies and programmes.”
He then said workers in the informal economy are exposed to poor working conditions, low pay, long hours of work and low rate of unionism and unsafe working environments. “Government is aware of the activities of some of these employers who, due to the pursuit of profit, disregard the extant labour laws. This creates work environments that frustrate the attainment of decent work for employers or employees because of the quest for profit.
“Many workers are exploited and make the work in very indecent and intolerable conditions, which negate all local and international labour laws. Hence, we shall not fail to sanction such organisations and ensure that the rights and privileges of Nigerian workers are protected,” Lalong said.
He also said he had directed the Inspectorate Department in the ministry to wake up to its responsibility and ensure the full compliance with decent work regulations across the country. He added; “I shall be engaging relevant government agencies to ensure that these entities are fully made to face the wrath of the law.”
Represented by the Congress’ Senior Assistant General Secretary, Comrade James Eustace, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said; “We are confident that this initiative will contribute significantly to poverty reduction, job creation and the overall improvement of working and living conditions in our beloved nation.
“We hope that DWCP III of Nigeria which is built around the three key strategic priorities of job creation for women, men, youth and Persons with Disabilities; rights at work and extending social protection, will facilitate a tripartite process anchored on inclusive and participatory social dialogue in addressing the socioeconomic and development challenges faced by workers and Nigerians at large.
“As representatives of Nigerian workers, we reaffirm our commitment to collaborate closely with the ILO and the broader UN family, government agencies and other stakeholders involved in DWCP III implementation as well as in resource mobilisation efforts. Together, we will work tirelessly to ensure that the DWCP III objectives are achieved and that the benefits of decent work and social justice leave no one behind.”
Delivering his address on the background of DWCP III, the Director, Employment and Wages Department of the Labour Ministry, Mr John Nyamali, said the Decent Work Country Programme is the main strategic framework through which ILO meets its mandate of supporting poverty reduction and sustainable and productive job creation in the country in alignment with the national development plan. The increasing rate of poverty in Nigeria calls for well targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth, decent jobs and adequate social protection for the poor and most vulnerable groups in the country.
He noted; “Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the social partners and other relevant stakeholders discussed and agreed on Nigeria’s priorities and programme outcomes during a series of consultations and workshops. The priorities will allow the ILO and its tripartite constituents in Nigeria to use the ILO’s comparative advantages such as international labour standards, international supervisory mechanism, social dialogue and tripartism, to address the major decent work deficits in the country.
“In line with the ILO Centenary Declaration, the priorities of the DWCP promote the ILO’s mandate for social justice by further developing the human-centred approach to the future of work and placing the needs, aspirations and rights of every Nigerian worker at the centre of economic, social and environmental policies. The DWCP III which will build on the good practices and lessons derived from the Nigeria DWCPI (2005-2009), and Nigeria DWCP II (2015-2018). It was developed to address challenges that inhibit inclusive growth and development in the country.
“With this newly developed Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) III, Nigeria is taking decisive step in promoting decent work as a key component of its national development. I, therefore, call on the social partners and other stakeholders to demonstrate commitment in the implementation of the DWCP III. It is my expectation, therefore, that the launching of this document will no doubt foster integration of the tenets of decent work agenda in government programmes and contribute to addressing the decent work deficits highlighted in the diagnostic report.”
Also, the Director-General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr Adewale Oyerinde Smart, said; DWCP III “document is not an end on his own. For us to achieve the priorities of job creation for men, women and disabled people stability, right at work, social protection, requires some level of stability within the context of the macro economy.”
Because without that level of stability in the macro economy, it then becomes a very difficult to actually achieve the content and spirits of the document.
Furthermore, he said; “We will continue to constructively engage government at all levels, with the view of sharing policy options that continue to navigate our economy toward the trajectory of growth and sustainable and inclusive growth. We hope that the achievement of the priorities will help us to achieve multiple stability within the context not only the ecosystem of labour and employment relations, but the economy as a whole.”
To this end, stakeholders have expressed their eagerness to work together with the Federal government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment and other government agencies to commence implementation of DWCP III. However, there are concerns especially in the mind of the organised labour that government usually fall short in doing its part in terms of policy and result oriented actions to ensure implementation and enjoyment of decent work for all workers in Nigeria.
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