FG, ILO, Other Stakeholders meet to validate National Employment Policy

The Federal Government, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other stakeholders have met in Abuja to validate the much expected National Policy on Employment.

The Draft Employment validation meeting, which was organized by the Federal Government, in conjunction with the ILO is of particular significant for Nigeria to move forward.

According to the Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Mr. Dennis Zulu, the meeting will determine whether the Nigerian Government and the stakeholders can collectively contribute towards taking concrete steps that will address unemployment and underemployment in a comprehensive, coherent and integrated way”

Mr. Zulu said the stakeholders forum marks an important milestone in the process of preparing an employment policy for Nigeria which started in 2012. The objective,according to him is to prepare a policy that would promote full and productive employment by developing integrated employment, development and skills policies that will maximize the employment impact of economic growth, investment and development; and which are inclusive, gender sensitive, productive and sustainable.

The ILO director said extensive consultations involving a wide range of stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country have been held during the last four years.

He said: “The ILO wishes to note that the validation of the draft national employment policy is in line with the prescribed process of preparing national employment policies as articulated by ILO Employment Policy Convention No. 122 of 1964.

“The Convention requires national employment policies to be positioned as a major goal within the national agenda. It calls for an active employment policy to be pursued as a major goal of macroeconomic policy, with a focus on the design and implementation of such policies.”

Given the progress that has been made in Nigeria in putting in place an employment policy, Mr. Zulu appealed to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and  the social partners to consider ratifying ILO Convention 122 .

He pointed out that by putting in place an employment policy, Nigeria is already in line with the objective of the convention.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige reiterated the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to job creation and provision of decent employment opportunities for Nigerians.