The Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to promote decent work, social justice and effective labour governance in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Salihu Usman, stated this during a coordination meeting between the ministry and the ILO in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Annah Daniel.

Usman said the longstanding partnership between Nigeria and the ILO, a specialised United Nations agency dedicated to promoting social justice and internationally recognised labour rights, has supported efforts to improve working conditions in the country.

According to him, the collaboration has helped advance decent work initiatives, occupational safety and health standards, social dialogue, labour administration, and the implementation of international labour standards.

“Joint initiatives between the ministry and the ILO have consistently produced positive outcomes in addressing labour-related issues in the country,” he said.

The permanent secretary noted that the coordination meetings had not been held for some time due to administrative challenges but were resumed because of their strategic importance.

He also highlighted several challenges confronting Nigeria’s labour sector, including rising youth unemployment, skill shortages, expansion of the informal economy, labour migration management, workplace safety concerns, weak social protection systems and child labour.

“Addressing these challenges requires strong institutions, coherent policies and effective technical collaboration with development partners such as the ILO,” Usman added.

He said the meetings would enable departments within the ministry to align their activities with the ILO’s country programme priorities, reduce duplication of efforts, improve information sharing and develop practical implementation roadmaps.

In her remarks, ILO Country Director, Vanessa Phala, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the ministry.

She said the collaboration would focus on policy alignment, promotion of labour standards and support for sustainable employment initiatives.

“We have to make sure that what we are doing continues to align with the ministry’s priorities and the government’s agenda under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu,” Phala said.

She added that the ILO would continue providing technical support and capacity-building programmes to help Nigeria address emerging labour challenges and protect vulnerable workers across the country.