Federal Govt Working On Policy To Protect Migrant Workers – Minister

The federal government has said it is working towards implementing a National Labour Migration Policy which will protect migrant workers and ensure fair and ethical recruitment.

The minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, stated this yesterday at a conference in Abuja with the theme, “Local Content, Casualisation and Fair Labour Migration,”

The minister said the ministry was working with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) “to implement the National Labour Migration Policy, which seeks to protect migrant workers and ensure fair and ethical recruitment.”

He disclosed that new bilateral labour agreements had been signed with Saudi Arabia and Qatar to define fair terms of recruitment and working conditions for Nigerian workers abroad.

The minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing decent work, fair labour practices, and inclusive growth in Nigeria through stronger regulation, skills development and fair migration policies.

He said government policies were being realigned to protect Nigerian workers, deepen local content, and promote decent employment across key sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, ICT and renewable energy.

He described local content as a form of economic self-determination, stressing that Nigerians must not remain spectators in industries operating within the country.

Dingyadi noted that government agencies such as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) were collaborating to upgrade skills and strengthen technical capacities to make Nigerian workers globally competitive.

The minister identified casualisation as one of the most pressing labour challenges, warning that insecure, poorly paid jobs undermine productivity and national development.

He said the Labour Inspectorate Department and the Tripartite Industrial Relations Framework had intensified efforts to enforce compliance with the Labour Act and related employment standards.

According to him, the ongoing review of Nigeria’s labour laws would modernise the nation’s legal framework to reflect international conventions and address emerging work forms such as contract and platform-based labour.

He commended journalists for their sustained role in shaping national conversations around employment, industrial harmony, and social protection, urging labour reporters to continue promoting truth and balance in their coverage.

He said, “True local content is not achieved merely by the number of Nigerians employed but by the quality and dignity of the work they perform.

“A workforce that lacks job security cannot plan for the future or contribute meaningfully to social security systems.

“Our goal is to ensure that every Nigerian who migrates for work does so under safe, dignified, and lawful conditions.

“The federal government remains committed to creating an environment where businesses thrive, workers are protected, and national prosperity is inclusive,” he said.