FG committed to adherence to ILO standards —Ocheni

THE Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Prof Stephen Ocheni, has disclosed that the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to the standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on labour practice, social protection and equal opportunity for all, regardless of their social status.

The Minister spoke when he received a team of the ILO officials led by the Chief of the Employment and Labour Branch of ILO Geneva, Ms. Sukti Dasgupta, in Abuja.

Ocheni said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria is totally committed to the adherence of ILO’s ethics on international standards of labour practice, social protection and equal opportunity for all Nigerians; either women, men, disable and other components of the society”.

He informed the team that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the National Policy on Employment and expressed government’s readiness to the implementation of the Policy and of course the Global Youth Employment Forum.

According to him, “on the issue of the National Policy on Employment, the Federal Executive Council approved the policy document in 2017 and the National Council for the implementation of this document was recently inaugurated by the Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige”.

The Minister of State expressed with delight Nigeria’s willingness to host the Global Youth Employment Forum by next year, which is also ILO centenary (100 year) anniversary.

He added that security will be well provided and assured the delegates of necessary support for successful hosting of the Youth forum.

In her remarks, the leader of the delegation, Sukti Dasgupta said Africa needs empowerment and more intervention in the areas of Youth Employment, hence ILO focuses on Nigeria to host the Global Youth Employment Forum.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has assumed the position of the Vice President (Government Group) of the Government Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO), in Geneva Switzerland.

Ngige, was elected at the 107th Session of the International Labour Conference held from 28 May-8 June 2018 in Geneva, while Azerbaijan was elected the President.

• We’ve delivered on our mandates in power, works, housing sectors ― Fashola

He assumed the position at the 334 Session of ILO Governing Body, held between 25 October and 8 November 2018.

The Governing Body is the executive body of the ILO (the Office is the secretariat of the Organisation). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.

However, Nigeria is expected to take over the Presidency of the Government Group at the 108th Session of the ILC in June 2019, when the ILO will be celebrating its centenary.

The Minister also addressed the 334th Session of the Governing Body of the ILO on behalf of the African region on the Report of the Director-General – Second Supplementary Report on the Composition of the Governing Body – Update on the status of ratification of the 1986 instrument for the amendment of the Constitution of the ILO.

The Minister called on the Governing Body to supplement its promotional campaign effort with a renewed mandate to the Director-General if the amendment is expected to take effect.

He urged the member states who are yet to ratify the instrument to do so without further delay in the spirit of the forthcoming centenary celebration of the ILO in 2019.

He also requested that in addition to the above, the ILO should constructively engage at the highest political level with Heads of Government of the Members of Industrial Importance and Africa to explore alternate opportunities and options to achieve a speedier ratification.