The International Labour Organisation has launched a significant initiative to empower Nigerian trade unions, recognizing their crucial role in shaping employment policies and ensuring workers' voices contribute to national development strategies.
Addressing Nigeria's Labour Market Challenges
During a two-day capacity-building workshop for Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress members, ILO representatives highlighted the urgent need to tackle the country's growing employment crisis. Dr. Vanessa Phala, Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, emphasized through her representative that effective worker representation requires continuous capacity building, especially as Nigeria faces mounting unemployment and underemployment.
The workshop, organized under the Strengthening Employment and Employability Systems in Nigeria (SEESIN) project with GIZ-SKYE II Programme support, comes at a critical time. Recent labour market trends show alarming increases in informal employment where workers lack essential social and legal protections.
Strategic Capacity Building Initiative
Dr. Phala, represented by ILO Senior Specialist on Workers Activities Inviolata Chinyangarara, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to promoting meaningful social dialogue. The workshop specifically aims to strengthen technical and analytical capacities for engaging in employment policy processes.
Participants will develop deeper understanding of Nigeria's employment landscape and governance frameworks while enhancing skills for evidence-based advocacy and inclusive social dialogue. The training focuses on aligning union efforts with national priorities including the National Development Plan (2021–2025) and the revised National Employment Policy (NEP 2025).
Commitment to Decent Work and Social Protection
In his welcome address, Comrade Benson Upah, NLC acting General Secretary, delivered a powerful message about workers' organizations commitment to strengthening employment systems for public benefit rather than private profit. He demanded productive employment and decent work for all Nigerians, rejecting precarious jobs that perpetuate poverty.
Upah emphasized the responsibility of workshop participants to effectively engage governance frameworks to protect workers' rights. He strongly cautioned against turning Nigeria into enclaves for sweatshops under the guise of industrialization, asserting that only employment guaranteeing workers' rights can achieve decent work objectives.
The SEESIN initiative represents a collaborative effort between ILO and GIZ to transform Nigeria's labour market by strengthening employment governance, addressing skills mismatches, and creating inclusive opportunities for youth, women, and marginalized groups in today's rapidly evolving work environment.
