Nigeria has stated that only improved labour administration through closer cooperation among the member countries of the African Regional Labour Centre (ARLAC) will equip them for increasing challenges in the world of work. 

The charge is contained in a key note address by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige to the 47th Governing Council meeting of the organization which held virtually, yesterday, 26 August, 2021.

Said Ngige, “Nigeria will continue to push for closer cooperation among ARLAC member States as a way to strengthen the administration of labour and enhance the capacity of the administrators for the challenges in the world of work. 

“With closer cooperation and peer evaluation, our quest for better trained labour administrators, with capacity in social and economic roles and equipped with competence to impact on others becomes easier. 

“I therefore reiterate Nigeria’s position for the comprehensive evaluation of the progress in the implementation of the ARLAC re-engineering process by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ensure that the centre operates in line with the global best practices.” 

The highlight of the meeting included a ministerial symposium termed “Skills Development and Lifelong Learning” which is an adaptation of an earlier series by the ILO in 2020. 

The symposium highlights the importance of quality education and training, provision of relevant skills to the young and adult in order to equip them for the future of work where technological innovation like artificial intelligence, demographic and climate change   will limit skills with attendant negative consequences on jobs.

The meeting also witnessed the election of   the new members of the executive office of ARLAC with Zimbabwe as Chair as well as Ghana, Sudan, Estwatini and Kenya as vice chairpersons for West, North, South and East Africa regions. 

Senator Ngige attended the virtual meeting alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Peter Tarfa, Director General of the National Productivity Centre, Dr. Kashim Akor and the Acting Director of Productivity Measurement and Standard, Juliana Adebambo.

With headquarters in Zimbabwe, African Regional Centre (ARLAC ) is the ILO regional body for the English speaking African nations , providing  platform for their Ministers of Labour and Lmployment as well as  Manpower and Social Welfare to build labour administration in the region.