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The President of the umbrella association of private employment agencies in Nigeria, the Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria, (HuCaPAN), Dr. Femi Ogunlowo has commended the Federal Government of Nigeria on ratification of the International Labour Organisation Conventions No 143 on Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1973 and Convention No 181 on Private Employment Agencies, 1997.
Ogunlowo in a press release issued in Lagos on Thursday said that the Conventions are central to the operations of the Private Employment Agencies in Nigeria. He added that HuCaPAN has been at the forefront of the campaign for ratification of these Conventions and its lodgment with the ILO in Geneva has brought the campaign to a fruitful conclusion.
He said “Let me first congratulate Mr. President, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Sen. Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Permanent Secretary, Ms. Kachollom Daju. mni, the Director of Employment and Wages, Mr. John Nyamali, and other officials of the Ministry for making this a reality. I equally appreciate and congratulate the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) for considering and approving the memo on both Conventions 143 and 181. History will never forget you.
“The efforts which commenced a few years ago have become a success story with the receipt of the official documents by His Excellency, Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Director-General, International Labour Organisation from the Nigerian Government through the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Sen. Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva.
“The world of work is changing. Today, Private employment agencies play a critical role in the labour market, with many businesses considering them essential to ensure that the demand for labour in both local and international markets is met. Services provided by PEAs represent a modern answer to reconcile the requirement of labour flexibility for user companies and the need for work security for employees.”
Ogunlowo urged the government to ensure implementation stressing that it will help in great measure to sanitize the industry. “As an Association, we are committed to its effective implementation and we shall mobilize our member companies to operate within the framework of these Conventions and other relevant labour laws.
“I am aware of the fact that implementation of these Conventions and other governing policies would be greatly challenged by the activities of the quacks in the system and other licensed Private Employment Agencies that are not HuCaPAN members as monitoring and reporting would become another challenge. Given this, I appeal to the government to ensure that all licensed Private Employment Agencies in the country are organized under a single umbrella body. To further the decent work agenda in Nigeria, we shall be true to our mantra – “anywhere a Nigerian is found working; he/she must have decent work.”
The Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, Gilbert F. Houngbo also congratulated the Nigerian government on the ratification of these conventions through his official Twitter handle.
“Congratulations to Nigeria for ratifying the Migrant Workers (143) and Private Employment Agencies (181) Conventions. Also held very fruitful discussions with Minister Chris Ngige on cooperation between ILO and Nigerian Government”, He tweeted.
The Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria (HuCaPAN) is the umbrella organization of registered and licensed recruiters in Nigeria, also known as Private Employment Agencies (PEAs). It was midwife by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, with international guidelines from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2007 and formally registered under the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990 in 2010.
The association provides a platform for Private Employment Agencies to interact with the regulatory body (government), labour, communities, and other relevant institutions within and outside Nigeria to develop and promote International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards and ethical practices in recruitment, deployment, and management of manpower in Nigeria.