NECA, CISLAC Push for Labour Rights, Conducive Business Climate
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in advocating better policies that will promote national development and protect the interest of employers and their workers.
Speaking on Tuesday at the signing of a 3-Year Memorandum of Understanding between NECA and CISLAC in Abuja, the Director General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde said the two organisations hope to leverage their research capabilities, advocacy strengths, and extensive networks, “to create a more powerful voice for our nation’s economic renaissance”.
Oyerinde said both NECA and CISLAC will undertake joint efforts and will focus on key areas such as public policy, influencing the formulation and implementation of policies that support both economic growth and social welfare.
Other areas of collaboration include; promotion of responsible business conduct, promoting ethical practices and corporate citizenship within the private sector.
On taxation, Oyerinde said they will both partner in advocating a fair and transparent tax system that benefits all and ease of doing business, thereby removing the bottlenecks that hinder enterprise and job creation.
NECA DG further said the partnership will seek to promote decent work, ensuring that labor rights are respected and the workforce is protected.
“This partnership is a clear demonstration that progress is best achieved through collaboration, not division. It is a testament to the belief that when the private sector and civil society work as allies, we can drive meaningful, lasting transformation,” he said.
On his part, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani who signed the MoU on behalf of his organization, said that apart from jointly advocating responsible business conduct and ethical corporate practices, NECA and CISLAC will drive advocacy on critical issues such as health, climate change, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.
“Together, we are declaring that the dignity of labour, the welfare of our workforce, and the productivity of our nation can no longer be negotiable—they must be guaranteed.
“For decades, Nigerian workers have borne the burden of our nation’s growth—teachers shaping our future leaders, health workers standing on the frontlines of crises, farmers feeding our people, and countless others whose daily resilience keeps our economy alive. Yet, too often, their sacrifices have been undervalued,” he said.
