The Federal Government has emphasised the need for improved implementation of migration policies in Nigeria, describing weak execution as a major obstacle to effective labour migration governance.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja during the unveiling of a policy brief on employer participation in labour migration governance in Nigeria, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, represented by Deputy Director in the ministry, Sunday Onazi, said the country already possesses several migration policies and frameworks, but implementation remains inadequate.
“It is very good to formulate policy, but one thing that is a challenge when we look at the dynamics of labour migration in Nigeria is the lacuna in the implementation,” the Minister said.
He urged the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association to ensure that its proposed migration policy produces practical results rather than remaining only on paper.
“So I will challenge NECA that this policy should not only be formulated, but this policy should also be implemented,” the official stated.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment remains the leading government institution responsible for labour migration matters under Nigeria’s migration governance structure.
The minister explained that the ministry had already introduced the National Policy on Labour Migration to support safe and regular migration pathways for Nigerians moving into and out of the country.
“And it is also important to note that the ministry has formulated the National Policy on Labour Migration, which is the working framework for promoting regular pathways of migration in and out of Nigeria,” he said.
He also pointed out that labour unions have developed migration-related policies, stressing that NECA’s proposed framework should align with existing national migration strategies.
“What I am saying here is that I believe, from the perspective of the ministry, that this policy formulated by NECA will have a handshake with the National Migration Policy, which is the working framework for managing migration in Nigeria,” the official added.
The ministry further highlighted the importance of private sector involvement in financing and executing migration initiatives, noting that Nigeria’s migration governance system relies significantly on donor support.
“If you look at the migration governance system in Nigeria, we are totally dependent on donor funding.
“So NECA, coming from the private sector, has a role to play to ensure that this policy will be implemented with practical contributions,” he said.
The official described migration and employment as closely linked, noting that economic opportunities remain a major reason many Nigerians relocate abroad.
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“Migration and employment are two sides of the same coin. When people migrate, they are looking for employment,” the representative stated.
He added that NECA occupies a vital position in labour migration governance because of its influence within the country’s employment and industrial relations sector.
“So NECA is very, very important when it comes to promoting the governance of labour migration,” the ministry said.
Also speaking at the event, the International Labour Organization’s Employment and Migration Officer, Mr Austin Erame, praised NECA for producing a policy brief dedicated to labour migration governance in Nigeria.
“For the first time, Employers and Business Membership Organisation under the auspices of NECA have been able to develop and launch a policy brief that specifically looks at labour migration governance in Nigeria,” he said.
Erame expressed confidence that the recommendations contained in the document would strengthen evidence-based migration governance and improve recognition of employers’ contributions to the sector.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NECA Northern Geographical Group, Margaret Isabona, said the policy brief would provide employers, workers, and migrants with clearer guidance on labour migration practices.
“When there are no laws governing this migration, in terms of decent work, fairness in recruitment, and all that, it becomes a problem and can lead to a crisis,” she said.
She explained that the framework would also help define appropriate standards for recruitment processes, remuneration, and labour mobility across the country.
Nigeria has introduced several labour and migration governance frameworks in recent years, including the National Policy on Labour Migration, although stakeholders continue to express concerns over persistent implementation gaps.