Irrespective of the praise singing of government agencies, some of the economic policies of the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, lack human face, and require urgent steps to address the country’s 60% poverty rate which is ravaging the people.
This is the position of the United Nations Country Representative to Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, at the Global Coalition for Social Justice conference in honour of the visiting Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert Houngbo.
It is the first time an African is occupying the position of Director General of the 180-member country’s International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the second time, such a personality will be visiting Nigeria.
Gilbert Houngbo was received by the Labour and Employment Minister on behalf of President Bola Tinubu
Shortly after, the visiting ILO D.G joined the U.N Country Representative to Nigeria Mohammed Fall; the ILO Country Representative, Vanessa Phala; the Nigerian Employers Association and top leaders of the Organised Labour in Nigeria, in a session of a Conference on Global Coalition for Social Justice.
The U.N Representative to Nigeria laid bare the outside world’s perception about President Tinubu’s economic policies and the urgent need to reduce the 60% of the Nigerian population in poverty.
For the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), on the situation in Africa, a new social contract is needed by the continent’s leaders in order to address policy mismatch, while the Organised Labour launched an advocacy for a global wage system.
Other Speakers want the ILO to establish a desk for workers with disability, just as some others challenged the Nigerian government to invest more on skilled education.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
