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The International Labour Organisation has urged the Federal Government to adopt an inclusive employment policy that will promote decent job creation in the country.
The Employment Policies Specialist, ILO, Drew Gardiner, who spoke on, ‘Designing and Implementing National Employment Policies in Nigeria,’ gave the advice on Wednesday.
He said this virtually during the two-day National Conference on Employment Promotion held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
The conference titled, ‘Addressing the Challenges of Employment and Reintegration at the National and Sub-National Levels in the Post Covid-19 Era: Impact and Policy Response,’ was organised by the Ministry of Labour in collaboration with Employment German Corporation, GIZ and the International Labour Organisation.
Gardiner said based on estimates, over 114 million jobs were lost in 2020.
Gardiner said national employment policies could play a key role in linking the immediate response to the Covid crisis and achieving an inclusive and job-rich recovery.
He said Nigeria should adopt an evidence based public policy approach for achieving its employment goal.
According to him, the government, including ministries , labour and worker representatives must make meaningful inputs to achieve a holistic policy.
He argued that over the years, successful NEPs have involved a broader set of strategic actors and leadership at high levels.
“The effectiveness of success that a country can address the unemployment challenges depends not only on how the employment policy is designed, but, to a larger degree, on how the employment policy is implemented,” he noted.
On the principle Nigeria must adopt, he said the policy needs to integrate decent and sustainable employment in the economic and social development agenda.
The government, he added, must also build an environment enabling for implementing employment policies and strengthening the ministry in charge of employment.
