• Labour
• VP Shettima
• Workforce

VP SHETTIMA RESTATES FG’S DEDICATION TO WORKERS’ WELFARE, WAGE REFORMS

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  Nicolas Adekeye / 3 weeks
• 0
• 3 min read

Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s dedication to the welfare of members of the organised labour, inclusive economic policies, and wage reforms. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to a thriving workforce and an efficient labour ecosystem. Speaking during a meeting with a delegation led by the visiting Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Gilbert Houngbo, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, the Vice President lauded Nigeria’s vibrant labour movement and its role in national development. “We have a very vibrant labour movement, led by a competent and patriotic Nigerian. President Tinubu is deeply passionate about the welfare of Nigerian workers. We raised the minimum wage, and most states have started implementing it. Some have even gone beyond the N70,000 agreed at the national level. I commend the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for their statesmanship and commitment to workers’ rights,” the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, quoted VP Shettima as saying. VP Shettima noted the global workforce transformation and Nigeria’s potential to bridge talent gaps, citing the country’s youthful population as a major advantage. “One in four black men is a Nigerian, and by 2050, we will surpass the United States to become the third most populous nation on earth. The average age in Nigeria is 16.9 years. We have a demographic bulge, but with the right policies, we can transform it into a demographic dividend rather than a demographic disaster,” Stanley Nkwocha quoted VP Shettima as saying. Senator Shettima expressed confidence in the country’s future workforce, saying, “Our young people are digitally more literate than us. While some traditional jobs may disappear, new opportunities will emerge, and we will equip our youth with the skills to thrive in the evolving global economy.” Shettima assured the ILO delegation that President Tinubu would be briefed on their requests upon his return to the country. “We are all patriots and partners in progress. The President is very much at home with the labour ecosystem,” Stanley Nkwocha quoted Shettima as saying. The ILO DG, Mr Houngbo, thanked VP Shettima for receiving him and the delegation, noting that his visit to the country as DG was long overdue. He appealed to the Federal Government to speed up the finalisation of the reform of the labour code, even as he sought the support of VP Shettima for the revival of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). “We believe that, given the dynamism of the labour market in Nigeria, its population, ambition and role in Africa, having the NLAC revived will really be beneficial to all,” he added. Stanley Nkwocha said in a statement that other dignitaries present at the meeting included the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha, and the President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, among others.