International Labour Organization (ILO) LO Pledges Support for Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies

The Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) addresses Human Rights issues within employment relations through their 2019 Public Lecture and National Dialogue, on the theme “Casting Human Rights in Employment Relations Mould: From State to Workplace Perspective”, held in Ilorin, on 31st October 2019.

Press release | 31 October 2019

ABUJA (ILO News): The Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Mr. Dennis Zulu, has pledged ILO’s support to the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS). He made the pledge in response to a presentation made on areas for possible ILO intervention during the MINILS 2019 Annual Public Lecture and National Dialogue, which had as its theme “Casting Human Rights in Employment Relations Mould: From State to Workplace Perspective”. The Public Lecture which was organized in conjunction with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) held on 31st October 2019 at MINILS campus in Ilorin, Kwara State.

While delivering his good will message at the event, Mr. Zulu acknowledged with appreciation the Institute’s contributions to debates on key labour issues that are of interest to the ILO. According to him, the public lecture was of a great relevance to the ILO’s objectives as it celebrates its centenary in 2019. He stated that right from its inception in 1919, the ILO has been using Standards to address workers’ rights globally and at the workplace. He used the opportunity to congratulate Nigeria for being the first African Country to host both the First African Office of the ILO in 1959 and the First ILO African Regional Conference in Lagos from 5-16 December 1960. 

He stated that the ILO’s engagement with MINILS since its inception has yielded positive results over the years and has affected labour administration in Nigeria positively. He was optimistic that ILO’s continuous engagement with MINILS, partners and other relevant stakeholders would bring more benefits to Nigerians. He commended MINILS for taking the initiative to share information and good practices on labour issues and pledged the ILO’s support to some of the activities and programmes of the institute to enable the institute impact positively on the beneficiaries of such programmes.

In his goodwill message, the NLC General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, commended the ILO for adopting a number of conventions and recommendations to moderate industrial relations in the work place. He listed them as the convention of Freedom of Association, Organizing, Collective Bargaining, Full and Productive Employment, Elimination of all Forms of Forced Labour, Abolition of Child Labour and the Elimination of Discrimination in Employment and Occupation. He urged workers and employers to use these standards to demand their rights.   

 

Mr. Saliu Alabi, Director-General of MINILS, in his welcome address gave a detailed overview of the strategic nature of the theme of the lecture. Mr. Saliu Alabi, speaking on the theme of the lecture, said that human rights are key elements in overall strategy for engendering decent jobs as well as transforming employment relationships and work place practices. “There is increasing consensus that the workplace is a critical platform upon which development processes could be fostered, at both strategic and operational levels’’ he said. He further commended the Ministry of Labour and Employment and several other partners including ILO for their support to the institute and implored that the Dialogue would give momentum to the cause of human rights and employment relations in Nigeria.

 

Remarks were made by a representative of the Executive Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazak. Declaring the lecture open, the State Governor stated that its government had done their best to ensure that everyone was accorded their rights within the confines of the law. Alhaji Abdulrazak assured the gathering of his government’s continuous efforts to ensure that issues relating to human rights are tackled especially that relating to minimum wage. He also maintained that Kwara is “leading the charge” in restoring and protecting basic human rights and working towards UN SDGs especially the rights of women and young girls to fair representation, inclusion and decent empowerment.

 

From the panel discussions, various recommendations were made on how to promote human rights and workplace practices.   The event gathered together renowned professionals from government, labour, academia, civil societies and legal profession. Amongst those who participated at the public lecture and made contributions were the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr.  Folasade Yemi-Esan; Acting President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip; and Chief Femi Falana, SAN. Chief Falana lauded judges of the NICN for deciding labour matters in line with the provisions of the ILO conventions and international best practices). Also in attendance were trade union leaders and members, representatives of civil society and human rights organizations, top government functionaries, and representatives of the international community.

 

The Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) is Nigeria’s foremost institute for labour education aimed at building the capacity of workers and their unions; promoting exchange between Industrial relations parties in the interest of Industrial harmony; developing international linkages to encourage best practices and global solidarity and advancing the frontiers of knowledge on labour matters. It has evolved into a rallying platform for industrial and labour discourse on contemporary national and international issues.