The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has called for a comprehensive legal framework to regulate labour migration in Nigeria, warning that the absence of clear regulations could expose workers and employers to exploitation and other avoidable risks.
The call was made on Friday in Abuja during a policy dialogue and the inauguration of a Policy Brief on Employer Participation in Labour Migration Governance in Nigeria, organised by NECA in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Speaking at the event, Chairman of NECA’s Northern Geographical Group and Managing Director of ProHealth Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), Mrs. Margaret Isabona, said the growing scale of labour migration made it imperative to establish strong governance structures that promote fairness, accountability, and transparent recruitment processes.
According to Isabona, the lack of clear migration guidelines could create significant challenges across multiple sectors for both employers and workers.
“The absence of clear rules in labour migration exposes both workers and employers to avoidable risks and exploitation,” she said.
She stressed the need for policies that support decent work, transparent recruitment systems, and fair remuneration for migrant workers.
“Decent work must be protected through transparent recruitment systems and fair labour practices,” Isabona added.
She further stated that Nigeria required a structured framework capable of promoting order, fairness, and accountability in labour mobility, while urging government agencies and private sector stakeholders to support migration policies aligned with international labour standards.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Sunday Onazi said effective policy implementation remained central to successful migration governance.
Onazi noted that the Federal Government had already developed the National Policy on Migration to encourage safe and regular migration pathways in the country.
He added that workers’ unions, employers’ organisations, and other stakeholders were also collaborating on policies aimed at strengthening labour migration governance.
“It is good to formulate policies, but the major challenge in Nigeria has always been implementation,” Onazi said.
According to him, migration and employment are closely linked because many people relocate in search of better economic opportunities. He described NECA as a critical stakeholder in labour migration governance due to its role in employment relations and private recruitment activities.
Also speaking, the ILO’s Employment and Migration Officer to Nigeria, Mr. Austine Erameh, commended NECA for the initiative, stating that the policy brief would strengthen evidence-based discussions and improve employers’ participation in labour migration governance.
“Being able to articulate these positions in a policy brief that promotes evidence-based labour migration governance is an important step in the right direction,” Erameh said.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of Labour and Migration at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Eustace James, described the policy brief as a practical governance tool.
James said the document simplified labour migration issues and provided clear recommendations that stakeholders could easily understand and implement.
“The policy brief presents labour migration governance issues in a simplified form with clear recommendations that stakeholders can easily understand and apply,” he said.
