EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION ON LABOUR LAW AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS IN NIGERIA
Keywords:
ILO conventions, Employment Relations, Enforcement; Informality, Unionisation, Decent WorkAbstract
This paper examines the influence of International Labour Organisation (ILO) on employment relations in Nigeria. It explores how ratified ILO conventions have impacted national labour law, trade unionism, occupational safety standards, collective bargaining, and other workplace rights and practices in Nigeria’s formal and informal sectors. The paper used both primary and secondary data. A total of twelve interviews were conducted in different purposively selected organisations in Abuja, Aba, Nnewi, and Onitsha towns in March, 2025. Thematic data analysis technique was employed to analyse the data garnered from investigation of the interaction of ILO standards with national labour laws, their transformative potential, and implementation challenges. The study finds that Nigeria has made considerable progress in incorporating ILO core conventions into domestic legislation. Nonetheless, the impact on workplace conditions is limited due to gaps in enforcement of and compliance with these conventions, institutional weaknesses, limited resources and awareness, socio-cultural values, and economic pressures. The paper concludes by suggesting the ways for improved labour governance in Nigeria. These include full domestication of ILO conventions; strengthening institutional capacity for improved implementation and enforcement of labour laws; broadening awareness of workers’ rights, labour standards, and employer obligations to achieve effective compliance; and expanding protection to vulnerable and informal workers
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