Informal Workers Harp On Empowerment For Industrial Growth, Development

The leadership of Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON) has advocated empowerment of informal sector workers for industrial growth and development in the country.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP, the general secretary of FIWON, Comrade Gbenga Komolafe noted that, the best solution is empowerment for the members of the sector based on the precarious conditions they are facing coupled with high cost of living occasioned by lack of electricity power to help them stay afloat in their various areas.

Reading a statement jointly signed by him and Streetnet International (SNI) Coordinator, Oksana Abboud, he stated that the position paper presented by them highlighted  the urgent need for a just and inclusive approach to formalising the work of informal workers especially, street and market vendors.

With the upcoming International Labour Conference 2025, where one of the key themes of discussion will be ‘innovative approaches for the transition from the informal to the formal economy,’ he said, it is crucial to emphasise the position and perspective on formalisation process from the street and market vendors and to advocate for policies that recognise and protect these workers rather than marginalise, displace, or criminalise them.

Millions of informal workers, especially street and market vendors sustain local economies worldwide, yet they face daily threats of eviction, harassment, and economic insecurity due to their informal status.

In Nigeria, rampant evictions, extortion, harassment, all within a context the absence of social safety nets characterize the living reality of these categories of workers. StreetNet International and its Nigeria affiliate, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria advocate for an inclusive, worker-centred, and rights-based approach to formalisation that empowers rather than excludes. Formalisation should improve working conditions, expand social protections, and secure economic rights, he assured.

Key principles of a just transition are; “Inclusive and Rights-Based Formalisation. A just formalisation process must begin with the full recognition of all informal workers, especially street and market vendors as workers and citizens, making them rightful bearers of legal and social protections.

“Formalisation must prioritise livelihood protection over punitive regulation.

Vendors must have access to secure workspaces, infrastructure, and basic services.

Governments must avoid evictions, harassment, and regressive fiscal policies in the name of formalisation. Informal economy workers and their representative organisations must play a central role in shaping formalisation policies that affect them.

“Any formalisation process must incorporate a gender perspective and recognise that vulnerable groups, such as migrants and disabled individuals, who have historically been excluded from the labour market, are disproportionately represented among street and market vendors.

“Decent Work, Social Protection and Social Dialogue Formalisation should ensure access to social protection, including healthcare, maternity benefits, childcare, and pensions. The fundamental labour rights of all trade unions and membership-based organisations of informal economy workers must be protected, beginning with freedom of association,” the duo pointed out.