Nigeria unveils revised National Policy on Migration 2020

The National Policy on Labour Migration, NPLM 2020 in Nigeria has been unveiled to the general public and the International Community.

Unveiling the ninety-five-page document in Abuja Nigeria’s capital on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Labour, Ms Kachollom Daju, said that managing migration represents a growing challenge as Nigeria occupies an important position in the global migration landscape.

The revised NPLM 2020 according to the Permanent Secretary took cognizance and recognition of the rights of migrant workers and Labour Standards, Gender Responsiveness as well as youth and Vulnerable persons perspective to labour migration among others.

commitments towards implementing the Abidjan Declaration and shaping the Decent Work Agenda across the continent, including through promoting fair & effective #LabourMigration governance.@AErameh_ILO Project Coordinator delivers remarks on behalf of @vanessaphala at the event pic.twitter.com/YKlE4M9bqC

— ILO Abuja (@ILOAbuja) April 27, 2023

One of the benefits of having a functional and implementable migration policy is to promote safe, fair regular labour migration and to harness its benefits for national development as well as to combat the increasing challenges of irregular migration, exploitative practices, forced labour, smuggling and human trafficking.

Daju said that the Policy after many years of implementation was due for review which she said was necessitated by two main reasons which includes the recommendation of the 2014 edition of the Policy that says “that the Policy should be reviewed every three years by the Technical Working Committee on Labour Migration Governance and Management in Nigeria and the need to incorporate emerging global migration dynamics and national realities on labour migration to further strengthen labour migration governance in Nigeria.

“Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with relevant stakeholders commenced the process of reviewing and updating the Policy in 2019.

“This is because the formulation and implementation of labour migration policies and processes globally is a shared responsibility which requires the participation of all stakeholders to ensure efficacy and success”, she said.

According to her, following the successful review of the Policy and its Action which was validated by stakeholders in 2021, the revised Policy was submitted to the Federal Executive Council FEC for approval.

“The revised Policy was approved by FEC in October 2022, thus, the need for the official launch and unveiling of the Policy and the International Community for implementation”.

The Permanent Secretary also appreciated the German Development Cooperation and the International Labour Organisation “without whose financial and technical support the revised Policy would not have seen the light of the day…”, she said.

The Country Director of the International Labour Organisation ILO, Ms Vanessa Phala, in her address, commended the Nigerian government for its recent approval of the amendment of the labour laws, ratification of ILO Conventions 143 on Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention 181 on, Private Employment Agencies Convention as well as Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) demonstrates the commitment of the Government in compliance with ILO conventions, and further crystalizes the intent of the Government to ensure the promotion of decent work for Nigerian workers.

“Suffice to state that these frameworks, including the aforementioned Conventions, embody provisions of various International Labour Standards aligned to decent work agenda, including through normative provisions that seek to ensure adequate safeguard mechanisms for migrant workers in a bid to facilitate well-functioning labour markets.  

“ILO is indeed delighted to witness this epoch-making ceremony and appreciates the opportunity provided by the Government to participate in the revision of the policy, which was facilitated through a consultative and participatory process under the leadership of the Ministry, as well its subsequent adoption by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Phala said.

National labour migration policies serve as frameworks through which governments and other relevant stakeholders, in the spirit of social dialogue, design and develop contextualized mechanisms for safeguarding the rights of migrant workers.

According to the ILO Country Director, “ILO’s strategy on labour migration and mobility in the African region is guided by its International Labour Standards (ILS) and Decent Work Agenda and implemented in close collaboration with the World of Work actors (Ministries of Labour and workers’ and employers’ organisations).  

“The revised NPLM encapsulates Governments aspirations and policy thrust in the area of labour migration, and the review has been methodologically aligned to relevant International Labour Standards, Sustainable Development Goals and also importantly further demonstrates commitments towards attaining the objectives of the Abidjan Declaration towards shaping the Decent Work Agenda across the continent, including through promoting fair and effective labour migration governance”.

Stakeholders including the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Trade Union Congress TUC, and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association NECA among others attended the event.