The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Professional Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has called on the Federal Government to review its outsourcing policy, warning that the practice is contributing to job losses, weakening public service delivery, and discouraging young Nigerians from acquiring critical technical skills.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, the National President of AUPCTRE, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, said the union had consistently opposed excessive outsourcing, commercialisation, and privatisation of public services because of their adverse effects on workers, employment, and the efficiency of government institutions.
Anthony said outsourcing had continued to reduce direct employment opportunities for skilled workers, warning that the trend could undermine the country’s long-term development if left unchecked.
“Our position on outsourcing has remained the same over the years because it is affecting workers and public service delivery,” he said.
According to him, outsourcing is fuelling unemployment by reducing the direct recruitment of skilled personnel.
“If we continue this way, young people will lose interest in acquiring technical skills essential for national development. The government should review this policy, protect jobs, and invest in skilled workers because they remain critical to an efficient public service,” Anthony said.
He also argued that outsourcing had weakened the maintenance culture across government establishments by replacing permanent employees with contract workers who often lacked the same level of commitment and sense of responsibility.
Anthony explained that workers directly employed by government agencies tended to take greater ownership of their workplaces and were more committed to maintaining public facilities.
“The worker who was there before felt it was his own office and had the responsibility to maintain the environment, but outsourcing has changed that,” he said.
He added that the condition of many government offices had deteriorated because outsourced services were not always delivered with the same level of dedication and efficiency.
“You go to federal secretariats and other government offices today, and the environment is shabby because maintenance has been contracted out,” Anthony said.
The union president warned that continued reliance on outsourcing could further reduce employment opportunities for skilled professionals and discourage young Nigerians from pursuing the technical and vocational careers needed for national development.
“Skilled workers are very important in every society. If you make them feel unwanted, those skills will gradually disappear,” he said.
Anthony urged the Federal Government to prioritise the direct employment of skilled workers, strengthen public institutions through greater investment in human capacity, and introduce policies that would protect jobs, improve productivity, and promote decent work across the country.
