The expatriate quota abuse in the food/drink sector

IT cannot be cheery news that almost everything that could go wrong is going wrong in all sectors of the Nigerian economy, but that is the situation in which Nigerians have found themselves. The latest media report about looming industrial unrest in the food and beverage sector of the economy over expatriate quota abuse by multinationals and other major companies in the industry is just one in the series of unpalatable stories that have become rather routine. According to the report, there are no fewer than 456 foreigners in 41 companies in the sector doing jobs that Nigerians can conveniently do, with four of such companies accounting for 186 expatriates. Some of the affected  companies are a fruit juice processing company based in Lagos, a flour milling giant and another fruit juice company in a neighbouring state. The three companies collectively have 153 excess expatriates on their payroll.

While two major bottling companies in Lagos are said to have 24 excess expatriates, another one based in Ogun State has 11 foreigners in its employ, defying Nigeria’s expatriate quota rules. The report added that in the beverage sub-sector, four Lagos-based companies have a total of 90 expatriate workers outside their expatriate quota, while a company based in Ibadan, Oyo State, has  no fewer than 30 of such workers. Similarly, in the confectionery industry, the report indicated that two companies based in Ibadan, Oyo State, have 19 expatriates in their establishments. The list goes on and on. It can be safely assumed that this is the prevailing situation all over the country. The so-called expatriates are being engaged in various departments, including production, supply chain, sales, engineering and quality assurance, among others

According to the labour leaders cited in the report, with the level of Nigeria’s development, expatriates are needed in the sector, especially where local expertise is lacking. The problem, they argue, is the gross abuse of quota regulations, as many of the said expatriates are not experts but mere tools to fight unemployment in their countries. They end up getting paid fat salaries in dollars. Nigerians must be disturbed by the revelation that expatriates with the requisite technical competence who are only expected to train Nigerians for about two or three years, then return to their country, easily get their permits renewed by unscrupulous government officials and end up becoming permanent workers in the sector.

Deploring the ugly situation, the president of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), Jimoh Oyibo,  said: “We are seriously disturbed by the increase in the number of expatriates that have flooded the companies in our industry. This is disheartening and unacceptable to us. It has led to the continuous taking over of jobs that are the exclusive right of indigenous workers.” On his part, the Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Foods, Beverages and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE (NUFBTE), Mike Olarewaju, was quoted as saying that his union viewed the abuse of expatriate quota as deliberate sabotage to the Nigerian economy, a subtle channel for capital flight, and a threat to job dignity and employment opportunities for Nigerians. The unions have consequently addressed a  petition addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, seeking government intervention in the matter.

We commend the unions for taking steps to do what those who are paid taxpayers’ funds to regulate the sector are shying away from. In a serious country, no company would dare to violate employment laws with such impunity. This is because, more often than not, rules are applied evenly and violators swiftly sanctioned regardless of the level of connection of their management staff with politicians. In Nigeria, it is not just that foreigners are stealing jobs statutorily meant for Nigerians; the fact is that in most cases, they treat Nigerian workers with undisguised contempt. The problem, as we have insisted time and again, is that Nigeria is a society without consequences for infractions. If there are laws and they are not being obeyed, it is because nobody takes Nigeria seriously. When violations attract no recompense, they can only get worse. We are appalled by the fact that government officials, for a mess of pottage, are colluding with foreigners to deny Nigerians their statutory rights. Such government officials ought to rot in jail, but they will probably never even have a date in the court of law.

At the risk of being repetitive, we declare that Nigerian leaders do not take the country seriously, and it is even open to question whether they believe in the country at all, or realise their place in ensuring that the Nigerian society runs smoothly and works for the benefit of all. If they did, no company would violate the law so casually. Even lawmakers hardly take the laws they make very seriously. We take serious exception to foreigners constituting economic sabotage to Nigeria and urge the government to take more than a passing interest in this matter. It is a disservice to the country to allow the situation in the food and drink sector to persist. The government should do something noble for once.