The Federal Government has pledged to inject more resources and programmes to gear up activities in the informal sector of the economy and further strengthen the production capacity of entrepreneurs in the COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who said this when he received a delegation of the Organization of the Trade Union of West Africa (OTUWA ) in Abuja, further said the idea was part of the multi-pronged strategy of the Federal Government to create jobs and tackle insecurity.
According to a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abuja by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Charles Akpan, Ngige said, “In Nigeria, the fatal blow of the CoOVID-19 pandemic is felt more on earnings and food production.
“The informal economy is badly hit. This is where you have people with no tenured appointment or jobs; the partially employed, the working poor. The job losses are huge in this sector. We are therefore committing more efforts to lift millions in this bracket out of poverty. More programmes will be introduced in the near future.”
He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for its interventions in the government economic recovery plans, noting particularly, the recent one-year moratorium given on interests to entrepreneurs.
“In Nigeria, our Central Bank has been alleviating the pains of workers in the private sector, even employers – the industrialists, who for instance have been given one year moratorium on interest on funds sourced through the CBN.
“We are focused on these programmes because we know full well that the consequences of negative turns in the informal economy are at the base of insecurity in the country, to the extent there is no zone in Nigeria that is not affected by one insecurity problem or the other.”
In his speech, the president of OTUWA, Mademba Sock commended Nigeria for supporting the confederation over the years. He sought the assistance of Nigeria towards an accelerated implementation of the decision of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on OTUWA in July 1986 as well as the fast-forwarding of the headquarters agreement which Nigeria is yet to comply with.
The Minister, on his part, urged OTUWA to educate workers on the provisions of the ILO on prohibition of strike during emergencies such as the COVID-19.
“We thank our labour unions for working together with us but wish to request that you educate unions, especially health workers that in the period of emergency, such as the medical emergency we are in, strikes are prohibited in line with the ILO status on rights to strike .
“The message must be delivered to the employees in the health sector as it is against ILO’s decent work agenda as well as its recommendation on emergencies and natural disaster. This is the message we want you to take back to the workers in the health sector all over Africa.”
Senator Ngige further called for support for the Togolese, vying for the office of the Director-General of the ILO, and who is already selected by the committee on Executive Selection for ratification by the Heads of State.
The Minister further assured that Nigeria would remain committed to the cause of OTUWA.
The OTUWA president was accompanied on the visit by John Oda, the Executive Secretary of OTUWA, Max Conte from Sierra Leone, Alain Adikan from Niger and Precious Mbut. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Peter Tarfa was also in attendance during the visit.
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