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ABUJA – The Federal Government has said it is committed to realigning its policies to protect Nigerian workers, deepen local content, and promote decent employment across key sectors of the economy, especially oil and gas, manufacturing, ICT and renewable energy.
Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment, made the pledge while speaking at a conference organised by Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) with the theme, “Local Content, Casualisation and Fair Labour Migration”.
According to Dingyadi, local content represents a form of economic self-determination, noting that Nigerians must not remain spectators in industries operating within the country.
The Minister 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.
He identified casualisation as one of the most pressing labour challenges, warning that insecure, poorly paid jobs undermine productivity and national development.
According to him, the Labour Inspectorate Department and the Tripartite Industrial Relations Framework has intensified efforts to enforce compliance with the Labour Act and related employment standards.
“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 stated.
On migration, Dingyadi said the Ministry was working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization 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.
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.”
