As the 2025 113rd International Labour Conference of the ILO counts down in Geneva, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been commended for his administration’s job-retention/job-led economic reforms in the last two years.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies,(MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu mni, gave the commendation in Geneva on Wednesday on the sideline of 2025 International Labour Conference.
Aremu, a Government Delegate at the 2025 Confab agreed with the statement delivered by Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammed Maigari Dingyadi that this year’s theme of the ILO DG’s report aligns with the mandates and aspirations of the priority areas of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu’s led administration with respect to employment, economic growth,inclusiveness, and poverty eradication.
The Director General observed that in line with the principle of International Labour Organization (ILO) that “labour is not a commodity” and “ cost item to be cut” indiscriminately,
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commendably rightly removed “ prohibitive fuel subsidy”, to free resources for public sector job retention, a departure from post 1999 reform characterized by “unacceptable public sector down sizing and job losses”.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) projected Nigeria’s total labor force at 118.72 million with
720,000 public servants working at the federal level.
While recalling that ILO emphasizes that work is fundamental to human dignity and national development, Aremu hailed President Tinubu for prioritize retention and creation of new decent work, where Nigerians work in freedom, safety, and dignity citing the Presidential approval of 774 National Health Fellows, from LGAs, to foster sustained improvements within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Comrade Aremu observed that while many manifestations of social injustices and inequalities exist , it was commendable that within the context of the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had signed new 2024 minimum wage and 2024 Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) aimed at income equity at work place and equitable sustainable higher education and functional skill development for students regardless of status
He said the challenge lies on how to improve on the new minimum wage due for review in 2027 because of the reduction of 5 to 3 year cycle by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that 6 National minimum wages since 1981 single out Nigeria to rank “high and great” in ILO’s tripartite best practices ranking.
AREMU advised the Federal government to strengthen labour market institutions like the premier National Institute for labour studies, National Directorate of Employment ( NDE ) and National Productivity Centre to complement Renewed Hope Agenda with respect to labour education and, productivity improvement, industrial harmony adding that “low and late funding fuels underperformance”.