The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with a view to strengthening labour rights, improving the ease of doing business and promoting responsible governance.
They said the partnership marked “a new and strategic collaboration” between organised business and civil society, describing it as a turning point for Nigeria’s socio-economic future.
Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, who spoke before formally signing the MoU at the CISLAC headquarters in Abuja, said the pact would leverage both organisations’ strengths in research, advocacy, and network-building.
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According to him, the collaboration would jointly address issues of public policy, decent work, taxation, climate change, and gender equality.
“Today marks a new and strategic collaboration between two organisations with distinct but complementary mandates.
“At NECA, our role is to be the voice of organised business, to champion enterprise sustainability, decent work, economic renaissance, responsible business conduct and to advocate for a conducive business environment.
“For years, we have worked to build a prosperous Nigeria from an economic perspective. CISLAC, on the other hand, has masterfully championed the cause of transparency, accountability, and the protection of civil rights. You have been a crucial watchdog, ensuring that policy serves the public good.
“While some may see the private sector and civil society as operating in separate spheres, we recognise a profound shared interest.
“A business cannot thrive in an unstable or less transparent environment. Just as citizens deserve good governance, so too does enterprise. Our shared goals of a transparent, predictable, and fair Nigeria, both economically, socially and industrially, are not just complementary; they are inseparable.
“This MoU is not merely a document; it is a symbol of our mutual commitment to tackling Nigeria’s most pressing challenges together. A business cannot thrive in an unstable or less transparent environment. Just as citizens deserve good governance, so too does enterprise,” Ojerinde noted.
On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described the MoU as “a covenant of trust” between employers, civil society, and Nigerian workers, lamenting that the undervaluation of workers despite their sacrifices.
Rafsanjani noted that teachers, health workers, farmers and other workers have continued to sustain the economy under difficult conditions.
“For decades, Nigerian workers have borne the burden of our nation’s growth. Yet, too often, their sacrifices have been undervalued. Labour is not a commodity, workers are human beings deserving of fair wages, safe workplaces, and respect,” Rafsanjani declared.
He said the partnership would advocate for evidence-based policies, social protection, climate action, and ethical corporate practices.
According to him, the organisation would “not shy away from holding power accountable” while also working with employers to create fairer workplaces.
“This is proof that employers and civil society can find common ground in recognising that when workers thrive, businesses prosper, and society flourishes. Work is not just a means of survival; it is dignity, it is justice, it is hope.
“When we empower the worker, we empower the employer. When we empower both, we empower Nigeria,” he said.
Rafsanjani also highlighted Nigeria’s troubling employment landscape, noting that while official unemployment stands near 5 per cent, underemployment and informal work continue to trap millions in precarity.
The MoU, both leaders agreed, would serve as a framework for advancing decent work, strengthening policy advocacy, and creating platforms for dialogue between workers and employers.
They expressed optimism that the partnership would not only benefit businesses and workers but also contribute to Nigeria’s broader economic renaissance.