Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu

Damilola Oyedele 

The Nigeria office of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity have commenced training of staff members on effective and efficient ILO standards report writing strategy.

The essence of the five-day workshop, which opened in Abuja, Monday, is to equip professional officers of the ministry and other relevant agencies with relevant reporting skills and techniques as a way to address the non-rendition of reports by Nigeria.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, in his opening remarks, said Nigeria over the years has been in arrears in her reporting obligations on some of the ILO conventions, which were ratified.

He added that the workshop would focus on the ILO’s eight core conventions; Collective Bargaining, Freedom of Association, Forced Labour, Child Labour, Equality of Opportunity and Treatment and Tripartite Consultations.

The Director of the ILO office in Abuja, Ms. Sina Chuma-Mkandawire, said since becoming a member in 1960, Nigeria has ratified 39 ILO conventions, adding that the labour standards  are supported by a unique control system at the international level that help ensure that States implement conventions they ratify.

“There are two types of control: a control system which provides regular review of periodic reports by Member states on measures taken to give effect to the provisions of the ratified conventions and specific procedures that include a procedure claim and a process of complaint of general application as well as a special procedure concerning freedom of association,” she added.

The failure of Nigeria to submit the annual reports, affects the image of the nation, the ILO boss said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, lauded the workshop as timely because it came at a time when the ministry is emphasising on improving national productivity across all sectors of the public service.

Olaopa, who was represented by the Director, Productivity Measurement, Dr. Clement Illoh, added that the ratified conventions are supposed to be channels and instruments of improving productivity in the world of work.

Article 22 of the ILO Constitution requires each member state to submit its annual report on the measures it has taken to give effect to provisions of conventions, which it ratified.