The Nigerian government in partnership with its social partners on Thursday, launched the “Nigeria’s Decent Work Country Programme Three,” DWCP111, to run from 2023 to 2027.
The Document which was launched in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, is to guide the government and other stakeholders on internationally acceptable standards of engagement of workers in a safe work environment as well decent treatment of such workers as important contributors to the national economy.
According to the International Labour Organisation ILO, the Decent Work Country Programme is the main strategic framework through which the Organisation meets its mandate of supporting poverty reduction and sustainable and productive job creation in the country in alignment with the national development plan.
For Nigeria, the increasing rate of poverty calls for well targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth, decent jobs and adequate social protection for the poor and most vulnerable groups in the country.
The journey to development of the programme started in March 2021 when the government of Nigeria in collaboration with the ILO commenced consultation with the social partners and other stakeholders.
In order to achieve this, the Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the social partners and other relevant stakeholders discussed and agreed on Nigeria’s priorities and programme outcomes during a series of consultations and workshops.
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Lalong, “The importance of developing DWCP III cannot be over-emphasized.
“The emergence of COVID-19 has changed the economic and business landscape due to its impact on national and sub-national economies, large corporations, MSMEs, and jobs globally.
“Many countries, including Nigeria, are grappling with the aftermath of the pandemic ranging from disruption of economic activities, the collapse of trades, interruption of value chains, sharp decline of stock market prices, collapse of remittances of migrants and rise in unemployment and business bankruptcies,” Lalaog said.
He added that one of the pandemic’s major fallouts is job and business losses, creating what he called a deeper steep in the unemployment slope in Nigeria and globally saying that these underscored the imperative of developing DWCP III to come up with strategies to mitigate further job losses.
“Furthermore, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called for an internationally coordinated policy response to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
“The National Employment Policy, 2017 recognizes the need for a coordinated approach at the national and sub-national levels to address employment, including related challenges such as informality, working poverty etc.
“This approach, no doubt has been translated into programme of actions through formulation of DWCP III”.
ILO County Director, Ms Vanessa Phala in her speech, said that the process of developing the DWCP was robust, inclusive, and consultative, with the participation and representation of all the major stakeholders.
She thanked the Minister of Labour and Employment for his leadership and the social partners, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association NECA, Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC for their commitment to the process.
Going down memory lane that birthed the programme, Phala said it began in the year 2020, “With the end of the DWCP II, we conducted the Country Programme Review to assess the level of implementation of the DWCP II and identify challenges and lessons learned to inform the 3rd DWCP.
“In 2021, we conducted a diagnostic study on the decent work situation in Nigeria – this gave us reliable data on the situation at hand, and several recommendations were made to address the decent work deficits.
“In July 2022, a validation workshop was held where the tripartite partners discussed the outcome of the diagnostic study and identified priorities. In addition to the participation of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, NECA, NLC, and TUC, other relevant government ministries were also in attendance.
“I am very pleased that today we are gathered here to see the conclusion of the process and celebrate the launch of the DWCP III for Nigeria, which will be implemented over five years from 2023 to 2027”.
In a good will message, the Nigeria Labour Congress, represented by its Focal Person on Migration, Eustace James,
Said that the NLC is fully in support of the founding principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1919, anchored on the understanding that a universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice.
NLC he said, believes that the pursuit of Decent Work for all workers is a search for Social Justice.
“The pillars of the ILO Decent Work Agenda are therefore central to the attainment of just and fair societies and workplaces that guarantee sustainable growth and harmony not just in the world of work but in the global community.
“Workers’ rights as expressed in DWCP III Country Priority 2: Rights at Work, are keys to a healthy work-life and peaceful society. The protection of fundamental and other rights at work is understood against the backdrop of the conclusion that social development is anchored inevitably on workplace productivity which in turn is a function of healthy workplace relations,” Mr James said.
While commending the ILO for its pivotal role in advancing the cause of decent work and social justice worldwide, Mr Eustace James added that “As the NLC, we are privileged to be a part of this developmental journey.
“Throughout the formulation phases of the DWCP III 2023-2027, we recognize the collective efforts of stakeholders, including government agencies, employers’ organizations, workers’ unions, civil society, and the international community, in shaping a future where decent work is not only a fundamental right but also a reality for all Nigerians.
“By aligning the goals of DWCP III 2023-2027with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Nigeria 2023-2027, and Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021-2025), which aims to accelerate, and sustain inclusive and private sector-led growth in the country, we are confident that this initiative will contribute significantly to poverty reduction, job creation, and the overall improvement of working and living conditions in our beloved nation.
“We hope that DWCP III of Nigeria which is built around the following three key strategic priorities: Job Creation for Women, Men, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Rights at Work, and Extending Social Protection will facilitate a tripartite process that is anchored on inclusive and participatory social dialogue in addressing the socio-economic and development challenges faced by workers and Nigerians at large.
“As representatives of Nigerian workers, we reaffirm our commitment to collaborate closely with the ILO and the broader UN family, government agencies, and other stakeholders involved in DWCP III implementation as well as in resource mobilization efforts”.
There were other goodwill messages from by the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Matthias Schmale, NECA and the TUC.
The DWCP III of Nigeria is built around three key strategic priorities which includes Job Creation for Women, Men, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Rights at Work and Extending Social Protection.
These priorities will allow the ILO and its tripartite constituents in Nigeria to use the ILO’s comparative advantages such as international labour standards, international supervisory mechanism, social dialogue and tripartism to address the major decent work deficits in the country.
