Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Nigeria (Ratification: 1961)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of the revised National Employment Policy (NEP) on 19 July 2017, which provides for a range of improvements to the employment service system. In particular, the Committee welcomes section 4.7.6 of the NEP, in which the Government undertakes to improve the collection, processing and analysis of employment statistics and other labour market information for purposes, inter alia, of improved employment and social development planning, and with the objective of establishing and maintaining functional and timely information regarding job vacancies, sectoral changes, geographical imbalances and other labour and income trends. The Committee further notes that, pursuant to section 4.7.7 of the NEP, the Government, through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE), is to establish a minimum of two community employment centres (CECs) in all 744 local government areas in the country. The CECs are to provide a full range of employment services to jobseekers in rural and urban communities in the country, including training, referrals, career counselling and information on job vacancies. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken or envisaged to implement the provisions of the NEP and its accompanying employment matrix, relating to the structure and functioning of the employment service. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information, including statistical information disaggregated by age and sex, on the number and location of public employment offices, including the CECs established in the different areas of the country, the number of new staff recruited, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices. The Government is requested to indicate the manner in which the employment service, in collaboration with other public and private bodies concerned, ensures the best possible organization of the labour market with a view to the achievement and maintenance of full, productive and freely chosen employment.

Articles 4 and 5. Consultations with the social partners. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the social partners, along with other stakeholders, participated in the review and validation of the revised NEP and its accompanying implementation matrix prior to its adoption by the Federal Executive Council in July 2017. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to give effect to the provisions of Article 4, which requires arrangements to be made through one or more national advisory committees – and where necessary regional and local committees – for the cooperation of the social partners in the organization and operation of the employment service and the development of related policy. In this context, and referring once again to its previous comments, the Committee reiterates its request that the Government provide information on consultations held in the National Labour Advisory Board on the organization and operation of the employment exchanges and professional and executive registries, as well as on the development and implementation of employment service policies and programmes.

Article 6. Organization of the employment service. The Government reports that some of the employment exchanges and the professional and executive registries in Nigeria have been upgraded to model job centres. It adds that the services provided by the exchanges have been upgraded and their facilities computerized, enabling them to replace manual registration of jobseekers with an electronic platform linked to the National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX), enabling jobseekers and employers to meet online and access employment services. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated detailed information, including statistical information on the impact of reorganization and restructuring of the employment services under the revised NEP. The Committee further requests the Government to provide up-to-date information on the operation of the job centres and their contribution towards meeting the needs of employers and workers, particularly in those regions of the country with high levels of unemployment. The Government is also requested to provide updated information in its next report on progress made regarding the establishment of CECs in all 744 local government areas of the country, as called for under the NEP, as well as on other measures taken or envisaged to respond to the needs of employers and workers in all geographical regions of the country.

Article 7. Particular categories of jobseekers. The Committee welcomes the provisions in sections 4.7.3 and 4.7.4 in the revised NEP, in which the Government undertakes to develop and implement a range of measures to ensure the greater participation of women in the workforce and the full employability of persons with disabilities, respectively. In respect of the employment of women, the Committee notes that the federal and state Governments are to develop self-employment promotion programmes for women, especially in rural communities, and the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development, together with related state ministries and local government councils, shall establish mentorship programmes and gender-specific career counselling in the 744 local government areas (NEP, section 4.7.3). In relation to the employment of persons with disabilities, section 4.7.4 of the NEP provides, inter alia, that the Government will facilitate the passage of a draft law on persons with disabilities and establish vocational rehabilitation centres to develop and enhance the skills and potential of persons with disabilities. The Committee requests the Government to provide comprehensive updated information on measures taken to promote women’s employment, particularly in rural communities, including information on the mentorship and gender-specific career counselling services provided in the local government areas, specifying the involvement of the employment service in this respect. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed information on measures taken or envisaged to give full effect to the provisions of section 7.7.4 of the NEP, including providing a copy of the law on persons with disabilities once it is adopted. The Committee recalls that the Government may avail itself of technical assistance with regard to the achievement of these objectives.

Article 8. Employment of young persons. The Committee notes the focus in section 4.7.1 of the NEP on job creation for young persons, particularly in the agricultural sector. In particular, the Government contemplates providing temporary employment for 500,000 graduates annually in the areas of education, agriculture, health and taxes. Referring once again to its previous comments, the Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the impact of the measures taken by the employment service to assist young persons in securing suitable employment, as well as information on the impact of measures taken by the National Directorate of Employment and the National Poverty Eradication Programme in this respect. The Government is also requested to provide information on the specific measures taken to implement the provisions of the NEP on youth entrepreneurship – including training and facilitating access to credit, insurance and other financial services – and skills acquisition for unemployed youth. It further requests the Government to provide information on the specific services and activities offered by the employment service in relation to the achievement of the objectives set out in section 4.7.1 of the NEP of generating employment opportunities and promoting skills acquisition for young persons.

Article 10. Measures to encourage the full use of employment service facilities. The Government indicates that private employment agencies (PEAs) are encouraged to advertise all job vacancies on the NELEX platform. In addition, it envisages taking steps to raise public awareness of the activities of the employment exchanges and the NELEX platform. The Committee reiterates its previous request that the Government provide detailed information on the measures taken or envisaged by the employment services, with the cooperation of the social partners, to encourage the full use of employment service facilities. The Government is requested to provide specific examples of activities conducted to reach out to the local workforce in various geographical regions of the country.

Article 11. Cooperation between public and private employment agencies not conducted with a view to profit. The Committee notes the provisions of the NEP concerning the regulation of the activities of PEAs operating in the country. In particular, the Government, through the FMLE, undertakes to ensure adequate protection for the workers placed by such agencies. The Government reports that annual capacity-building workshops carried out with PEAs have strengthened existing cooperation between the employment service and PEAs. It adds that the workshops have resulted in improved compliance by PEAs with statutory provisions and have raised their awareness of decent work principles. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and PEAs not conducted with a view to profit, including information on the content and outcome of the annual capacity building workshops for such agencies.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.