Nigeria - The Federal Government of Nigeria, with support from IOM, on Thursday (18/8) launched the National Labour Migration Policy in the capital, Abuja.

The policy, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in October 2014, aims to promote good governance of labor migration; protect and promote migrant workers’ welfare and optimize the benefits of labor migration on development, while mitigating its adverse impact. The accompanying Plan of Action outlines concrete projects which will contribute to the overall achievement of the policy’s goals.

An information brochure for migrant workers and a National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX) website, a database for migrant workers, were also launched at the event.

The event also saw the inauguration of the Social Partners Advisory Board and the National Policy on Labour Migration Implementation Committee, which will be responsible for the implementation of the policy’s plan of action.

Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment Sen. Chris Nwabueze Ngige said: “The policy and its plan of action, is one of several initiatives of the Government of Nigeria to strengthen the legal and policy framework for organized labour migration. It will enhance the capacity of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) in the governance of labour migration in Nigeria.”

IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission Enira Krdzalic highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration and coordination between FMLE and other relevant institutions in effective implementation of the policy. “It is vital for the ministry to build synergies with relevant institutions and to establish mechanisms for smooth implementation of the policy in Nigeria,” she said.

The policy, which enjoyed financial support from the European Union and the IOM Development Fund, will not only help address many of the challenges of labour migration, but will also enhance the capacity of the ministry to effectively manage labour migration to and from Nigeria, she noted.

For further information, please contact Ikechukwu Hillarion Attah, Tel: +234 8140671127, Email: iattah@iom.int or Enira Krdzalic, Email: krdzalic@iom.int