By Habibat Aliu
Experts have called for the effective implementation of the revised National Policy on Labour Migration (NPLM) for Nigeria to achieve a proper labour migration governance framework that will engender national development.
At the opening of a three-day sensitisation workshop on the revised NPLM, organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) within the framework of the fairway programme, in Lagos, on Tuesday, Director, Employment and Wages, FMLE, John Nyamali, said there was the need to review the policy, which works towards enabling migrant workers to contribute more fully to sustainable development in both countries of origin and destination.
Represented by the Assistant Director, International Labour Migration Division, FMLE, Dr Sunday Onazi, Nyamali, noted that the promotion of labour migration was one of the ways to increase the contributions of international labour migration to national development.
To this end, he called for collaboration and synergy among relevant stakeholders to make migration a win-win proposition, providing gains to both countries of origin and destination, as well as migrants themselves.
In Nigeria, he said managing migration represents a growing challenge as the country occupies an important position in the global migration landscape.
“It is against this backdrop that the government adopted the NPLM on Oct 15, 2014, and then revised it in 2020, 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,” he said.
National Consultant and Lecturer, Department of Political Science, University of Benin, Dr Stanley Akporema, who bemoaned the low level of sensitisation in 2014, said the workshop would address gaps to give room for effective implementation.
He said the workshop targets relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, particularly those with related mandates in the area of labour migration governance in Nigeria.
Director of ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Vanessa Phala, said the workshop came at a critical time when issues on international recruitment of migrant workers are coming to the fore, especially in the post-COVID era.
Phala, who was represented by National Project Officer, ILO office, Nigeria, Austin Erameh, said: “Nigeria is a country of origin, destination and transit for important countries in the ECOWAS region, as well as a country that provides labour for the international labour market, there should be a national framework that provides and safeguard adequate mechanisms for the protection of intentional migrant workers”.
On the issue of gender, which makes the policy gender-responsive, he said it introduces a component of ensuring that female and all migrant workers are protected with the necessary safeguard mechanism, as well as the contribution of social partners, including employers and workers’ organisations is adequately captured.
