Esther Oluku
The federal government has called on employers of labour in Nigeria to advance the safety and wellbeing of Nigerian workers by upholding global best practices in line with provisions of the international labour laws.
The call was made in Lagos by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, at the 69th Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).
Dingyadi stated that as the federal government continues to implement reforms aimed at attracting investment and improving the country’s business environment, the private sector employers should play a key role in closing unemployment gaps with close attention being paid to upholding the highest international labour standard.
He said: “As government continues to implement reforms aimed at attracting investment and improving the business environment, employers equally have a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance, comply with labour laws and honour the principles of decent work. Respect for workers’ rights and business competitiveness are complementary objectives that reinforce one another.
“The federal government recognises that employers are indispensable partners in national development. However, sustainable business success must continue to be built upon respect for the dignity of labour.”
In his opening remarks, the President of NECA, Mr. Ifeanyi Okoye, explained that while challenges of unstable power supply, technological disruptions, and insecurity persists, NECA is optimistic that sustained implementation of reforms, particularly in the power sector, has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of doing business and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian enterprises over the medium term.
Speaking, the Vice President, Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr. Adewale Adeyanju, stated that negotiations for a new national minimum wage, which is fast approaching, would present an opportunity to improve workers’ welfare with remuneration commensurate to a living and working population.
