The Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), located in Ilorin, Kwara State, has honored 25 distinguished individuals with fellowship awards and officially launched the MINILS Fellows Alumni Association.
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Dr. Sylvanus Simon Adamade, the Director of Academics and Distance Learning Programmes at the Institute, stated during the event that the ceremony was designed to encourage collaboration and advance decent work practices throughout Nigeria.
Adamade emphasized the institute’s commitment to professionalizing industrial relations in Nigeria, stating that,
“The conferment of Fellows of the National Labour Institute underscores our resolve to enhance proficiency in industrial and labour relations practices across the country”.
Dr. Adamade, while recounting the history of MINILS, highlighted the launch of the Advanced Certificate in Industrial and Labour Relations in 2016, which he noted provided professionals with expertise in labor laws, statutory dispute resolution, and negotiation techniques.
He also underscored the success of the Professional Certificate in Industrial and Labour Relations, introduced in 2019, which gained approval from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
“This year, in celebration of MINILS’ 40th anniversary, 112 professionals, including governors, judges, academics, and administrators, were inducted as Fellows of the National Labour Institute”, he said.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, emphasized the institute’s pivotal role in promoting workers’ education.
He noted its founding under the Third National Development Plan in 1983 and its renaming in 1992 to honor the renowned labor leader, Pa Michael Imoudu.
“MINILS rests on the principle that labour is neither a commodity nor an article of trade”, Aremu said.
He added that, “We are committed to fostering collective bargaining, social dialogue, and universal social protection while protecting vulnerable groups from exploitation and servitude”.
Comrade Aremu urged the newly inducted Fellows to lead the way in promoting excellence in workers’ education and to play an active role in driving Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
“This investiture is not just a recognition; it is a call to action to advance the cause of decent work for all,” he said.
The event included a lecture by Professor I.B. Kadri, which explored the challenges and opportunities in professional industrial relations in the context of rapid workplace transformations driven by digitalization and artificial intelligence.
The ceremony brought together legal experts, industrial relations professionals, and public officials from across Nigeria.
Oluchi Okwuego
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