FG, ILO, others launch revised national employment policy

THE Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched the Revised National Employment Policy (NEP) 2025, targeted at setting a new course for job creation and decent work in Nigeria.

The launch was possible with technical support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) through the Strengthening Employability and Employment Systems in Nigeria (SEESIN) project, and implementation support from the Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Govemment and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Minister of Labour and Employment Muhammad Dingyadi, who described the new document as charting a path for a labour market that would deliver inclusive growth, equity, productivity, and sustainability for every Nigerian, added that the new policy represents bold, inclusive, and future-fit solutions.

While noting that the employment landscape in Nigeria has been confronted with high youth unemployment, underemployment, informality, gender disparities, and regional inequalities, Dingyadi added that the COVID-19 pandemic had further brought out Nigeria’s vulnerabilities into sharp relief,.exposing the need for proactive, adaptive, and forward-thinking employment policies.

According to him, the NEP 2025 recognises the evolving contours of the Nigerian economy, provides a strategic framework to support employment opportunities that exist with emerging realities of digital transformation; the green, blue and orange economy as well as remote work. It also provides guidelines that strengthens the delivery of public employment services and aims to streamline coordination across stakeholders engaged in employment creation and decent work promotion.

He said: “Beyond the pandemic, the global world of work is being reshaped by automation, climate change, digitisation, demographic shifts, and geopolitical uncertainties.

“The NEP 2025 is not a stand-alone policy. It is a strategic compass aligned with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021-2025): ECOWAS Labour and Employment Protocols, the African Union’s  Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the International Labour Organization’s Future of Work Initiative.

“At the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda is a national commitment to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through job creation, youth empowerment, enterprise development, digital innovation, and inclusive growth. This policy offers a coherent roadmap to actualise those goals by promoting decent work, formalising the informal economy, boosting employability, and unlocking emerging sectors for job creation.

“In line with Mr. President’s vision, the NEP identifies employment not only as an economic objective but also as a tool for social justice, national security, and sustainable development. This policy provides the strategic direction for all employment-related initiatives under the administration, ensuring synergy across MDAS and alignment with national priorities. It ensures that no one particularly our youth, women, and persons with disabilities is left behind in the drive for national transformation.

“This revised NEP provides practical guidelines and targeted strategies to address employment challenges across multiple dimensions from policy coherence and institutional coordination to promoting innovation, formalisation, digital jobs, skills development, and decent work. It also introduces measurable indicators and timelines to enable evidence-based implementation and monitoring. In other words, this is not a document of good intentions; it is a roadmap for measurable transformation.

“Equally, the policy recognises Remote Work (Telework) as an increasingly viable and flexible mode of employment, especially for persons with disabilities, women with care responsibilities, and others facing mobility constraints.”

The minister who maintained that Nigeria could no longer afford fragmented or duplicated interventions, urged state governments to domesticate the NEP, and align job creation strategies with its framework.

“Employment is a shared mandate, and state-level action is crucial to delivering results.

To the private sector: We call on you to collaborate with us in designing labour market-responsive skills programmes, investing in employment-rich sectors, and supporting workplace innovation and formalisation.

“To development partners your continued support will be critical in strengthening national capacities, building employment data systems, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the labour market. To Youth and Workers’ Organisations: This is your policy too. Engage with it, monitor its implementation, and hold us accountable.

“Let us build ecosystems that support entrepreneurship, stimulate demand for labour, and foster productive partnerships between training institutions and industries.

The Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Vanessa Phala noted that the revised NEP has been formulated as a strategic response to prevailing socioeconomic conditions that have hindered inclusive development and equitable access to employment opportunities.

Represented by Austin Erameh, she noted that the policy would address the current labour market challenges and decent work deficits, including job quality,  unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria, by fostering sustainable economic growth, increasing workforce participation, and elevating job standards across multiple sectors.

She said: “Addressing labour market challenges effectively requires national employment policies anchored in rigorous empirical research and data-driven analysis. The ILO emphasises an approach to employment policy development that is founded on the principles of social justice and decent work, supported by tripartism and social dialogue.

“This informs our commitment to working collaboratively with relevant world of work actors towards ensuring that International Labour Standards underpin both the formulation and implementation of employment policies.

“I would like to underscore the importance of promoting policy coherence across employment, education, social protection, labour migration, and skills. It is essential to ensure that lifelong learning and employment-intensive investments are systematically incorporated to advance sustainable development. 

“Its comprehensive framework encompasses specific measures designed to enhance vocational training, promote investment in high-potential industries, and support the integration of marginalized groups into the workforce. By instituting rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the policy seeks to ensure measurable improvements in job creation, workforce productivity, and adherence to international labour standards, thereby contributing to Nigeria’s long-term socioeconomic resilience and competitiveness.

The revised policy aims to promote decent work, reduce unemployment and under-employment, and drive inclusive, sustainable economic growth. It establishes a national framework to address skills mismatch, improve employment services and foster effective collaboration across all levels of government.

Aligned with Nigeria’s development priorities and global labour trends, the NEP serves as a critical tool for transforming the country’s labour market.

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