National Employment Policy (NEP) 2017

SECTION 1 BACKGROUND TO THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY……………………................1 1.1 Overview of the National Employment Policy in Nigeria 1 1.2 Rational for the National Employment Policy………………………………………………………….1 1.3 Conceptual Framework, Philosophy, Strategies and Methodologies 3

SECTION 2 EMPLOYMENT POLICY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LABOUR MARKET IN NIGERIA 6 2.1 Overview of the Nigerian Economy 6 2.2 The Labour Market and Unemployment Situation in Nigeria 8 2.3 Employment Mapping in Nigeria 11 2.4. Constraints to Inclusive Growth in Nigeria 12

SECTION 3 OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 3.1 Goals of NEP 14 3.2 Objectives of NEP………………………….....................………………………………………..14 3.3 Principles of the National Employment Policy 15 3.4 Scope of the National Employment Policy 16

SECTION 4 NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES 18 4.1 Human Capital Development, Employability of Labour Force, Skills Acquisition and Application. 1 4.2 Private Sector Growth, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Job Creation in Nigeria 24 4.3 Sectoral Value-Chains and Employment Generation in Nigeria 27 4.4 Environmentally Friendly (Green) Jobs 31 4.5 Labour-Based Public Works Projects 33 4.6 Infrastructural Development 34 NEP 2017 5 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.7 Job Creation for Youth, Women and Disabled Persons 35 4.8 Labour Migration and Employment Policy……………..…………………………………………..41 4.9 Macroeconomic Policy and Job Creation 43 4.10 Decent Work Components 44 4.11 Recruitment into Employment ……………………………………………..............48 4.12 Strengthening Labour Inspection Service 54

SECTION 5 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION 54 5.1 Institutional Framework for Policy Implementation 54 5.2 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Mechanisms of NEP 55 5.3 Achievement Indicators and Outcomes of NEP 56 5.4 Review of the NEP 57 5.5 Funding of the NEP………………………………………………………….57

SECTION 6 STAKEHOLDERS AND ACTORS IN THE NEP IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS 58 6.1 The Federal Government 58 6.2 States and Local Governments……………………………………………….………58 6.3 The Private Sector 58 6.4 Employers’ Organizations and Professional Groups in Nigeria 59 6.5 Labour Unions 59 6.6 International Development Organizations 59 6.7 NGOs and Civil Society 60 GLOSSARY 61 IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX…………………………………………………………64 NEP 2017 6 National Employment Policy | 2017 ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS AfDB African Development Bank BEEA Business Enabling Environment Approach CBN Central Bank of Nigeria CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination Against Women CSOs Civil Society Organizations EDC Entrepreneurship Development Clinics EAP Employability Analysis Approach FCT Federal Capital Territory FML&E Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment FMWA& Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development SD GDP Gross Domestic Product ICT Information and Communication Technology IDC Industrial Development Centre IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ILO International Labour Organization IPPIS Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System IT Industrial Training ITF Industrial Training Fund LMIS Labour Market Information System M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies FMoE Ministry of Education MPR Monetary Policy Rate MSMEs Micro Small and Medium Enterprises NAPEC National Action Plan on Employment Creation NBS National Bureau of Statistics NBTE National Board for Technical Education NDE National Directorate of Employment NEC National Employment Commission NECA Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association NELEX National Electronic Labour Exchange NEP National Employment Policy NERC Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Council NEP 2017 7 National Employment Policy | 2017 NEXIM Nigerian Export-Import Bank NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations NLC Nigeria Labour Congress NPC National Productivity Centre NSBC National Skills Development Board NSITF Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund NSIWC National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission NUC National Universities Commission NVQF National Vocational Qualification Framework SAP Structural Adjustment Programme SMEDAN Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria SMEs Small and Medium-sized Enterprises SURE-P Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme TUC Trade Union Congress TVET Technical, Vocational Education and Training UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization YEAP Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme NEP 2017 8 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 1 BACKGROUND TO THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY 1.1 Overview of the National Employment Policy in Nigeria Employment generation has been and remains one of the most complex aspects of social and economic policy-making in Nigeria. The National Employment Policy (NEP) has been evolving in the country for decades. After many initiatives, the country developed and adopted the first NEP in 2002. In the space of 14 years following the first NEP, the Nigerian economy has grown to be the largest economy in Africa, while the labour force increased in many folds. In the same vein, the composition of the country’s labour force has undergone vigorous transformations with changing demographics, an increasing propensity for self-employment, unpaid family work and increasing intensity of urban informal economy. Despite the increase in population and the changing dynamics of work and employment, economic growth in Nigeria has been less inclusive and jobless in character. While the economy has achieved a commendable level of growth in GDP terms, many Nigerians have been left behind in the process. This is primarily due to the deficit of employment opportunities. Consequently, the Nigerian labour market has become profoundly deficient in the fundamental elements of labour rights, entitlements and systems that measure and promote decent work in general. These trends have revealed deep problems of industrial adjustment and significant mismatch between the supply of skills by the Nigerian educational system and demand for such skills in the labour market. The realities of the country’s labour market embedded in formal and informal economic systems have rendered difficult the implementation of social protection, wage harmonization, and job-rich growth. Thus, the changing nature of employment challenges; the diversity of Nigeria’s labour market and industrial relations and the undermined nature of social protection collectively underscore the need for a review of the national employment policy in Nigeria. 1.2 Rationale for National Employment Policy The employment and poverty challenges facing Nigeria are quite critical and there is an increasing awareness at all levels of Government, employer’s and workers’ organizations, of the urgent need for adequate responses and comprehensive approach to address the problems. The promotion of gainful employment has become imperative for the eradication of poverty and social exclusion in the country. NEP 2017 9 National Employment Policy | 2017 The premise of this National Employment Policy is that the best option open for promoting productive employment in Nigeria is through a multi-pronged employment generation strategy to become more employment intensive. A major requirement for the resolution of unemployment and poverty problem will be the evolution of a political culture that serves the peculiar political environment in Nigeria. In this respect, it is expected that all sectors of the economy will emphasize employment promotion in their development programmes. All the agencies at all levels of government – Federal, State and Local are encouraged to initiate or implement specific action programmes to accelerate the creation of more employment opportunities. The Federal Government will seek to improve the overall enabling environment for accelerated economic growth and employment promotion through the adoption of appropriate policies and institutions supportive of employment promotion. In particular, it will aim to achieve more employment intensive economic growth through a more appropriate macro – economic policy environment. There will be increased support for employment intensive and labour absorbing economic sector, particularly agriculture and micro, small and medium scale enterprises. In exploring more appropriate strategies for employment promotion, Government will, in co-operation with the private sector, develop programmes to link education and training to employment. It will pay greater attention to the needs of vulnerable groups; improve the working environment, and strengthens the institutional framework for the promotion of employment, and sustainable livelihoods. Employment statistics and Labour Market Information System (LMIS) will be improved to monitor employment and labour market development more effectively. The World Social Summit which was held in the Copenhagen Denmark, (March 1995) in its Summit Declaration, Commitment 3, called upon states to promote “The goal of full employment as a basic priority of economic and social policies, and to enable all men and women to attain secured and sustainable livelihoods through freely chosen productive employment and work.” In the ILO Employment Policy Convention (No.122 of 1964), countries also declare that they will” pursue a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment” The accompanying Recommendation (No.122) indicates the policies that governments could pursue to achieve these objectives. The formulation of this National Employment Policy represents a serious attempt by Nigeria to work towards these goals and address the employment crisis facing the country. The rate of economic growth in Nigeria in recent years has been quite encouraging. However, the rapid growth of the economy has failed to create the capacity for high labour absorption NEP 2017 10 National Employment Policy | 2017 through gainful employment opportunities. The inability of the economy to create sufficient decent jobs coupled with other challenges has made inclusive growth and poverty reduction difficult in the country. In recent years, the Nigerian government has addressed unemployment challenges and job creation issues as important crosscutting themes. As a result, multiple programs and initiatives have been created and implemented by many agencies at the federal and state levels of government to address the problem of unemployment in the country. However, due to poor coordination, lack of continuity of programmes among other factors, these efforts have resulted in considerable duplication of efforts and waste. This situation has created the need for a more focused and coordinated strategy for job creation in the country. Within this context, the NEP articulates the major employment related objectives of the Nigerian government in line with national aspirations and international standards, and addresses the major issues they face. To this effect, the reviewed National Employment Policy outline strategies that will enable the creation of decent work through different methods prominent among which are: the reinvigoration of the private sector; transformation of agriculture; provision and maintenance of physical infrastructure; improved market access for private businesses; and the availability of credit facilities for businesses. 1.3 Conceptual Framework, Philosophy and Methodologies This policy adopts the definition of National Employment Policy (NEP) espoused by the ILO (2015), which states that NEP is: A vision and a practical plan for achieving a country’s employment goals, …it is not just a job creation programme. It takes into account a whole range of social and economic issues. It affects many areas of government — not just the areas in charge of labour and employment—and every part of the economy. It brings together various measures, programmes and institutions that influence the demand and supply of labour and the functioning of labour markets. In addition to the promotion of job creation, the NEP shall promote decent work in line with International Labour Standards. Therefore, the National Employment Policy incorporates issues of social protection, fundamental rights of workers and social dialogue, which promotes labour productivity. As a cross-sectoral issue, employment policy is affected by many factors that are directly or indirectly linked to many stakeholders with significant influence on the labour market. Therefore, a balanced approach to employment policy requires the coordination of the social and economic structures and institutions of the economy. The philosophy behind the NEP in Nigeria is that employment creation is dependent on the enabling environment created by policies and regulatory regimes. To this effect, the design of employment policy is driven by the need to create decent and sustainable work in the Nigerian economy. As stipulated by the International Labour Organization (ILO): NEP 2017 11 National Employment Policy | 2017 Decent work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men. The employment policy is also underpinned by the philosophy that the availability of decent work creates the incentives for individuals to apply their human resources to the fullest in order to alleviate poverty. The creation of such opportunities requires macroeconomic policies that support expanded investment, increased productive capacity and aggregate demand. Above all, employment policy is driven by the understanding that while economic growth is important, what is more relevant is what such growth can achieve: more jobs, more income and poverty alleviation. While the State does not have the capacity to provide gainful employment for all, it has the responsibility to create the enabling environment. This can be done through the formulation and implementation of appropriate policies to create sufficient and sustainable jobs through the private sector. The first NEP adopted in 2002 was not comprehensive enough to consolidate into an integrated and coherent policy proposal that could effectively address the current labour market dynamics and realities in Nigeria. The review of the NEP has become necessary in view of new national and global economic trends that influence workforce development and employment generation. These emerging trends include macro-economic stability, trade and exchange rate policies, value-chain addition in agricultural and industrial sectors, credit, labour productivity, skill acquisition, training and education policies. Therefore, the current review of the country’s employment policy focuses on bridging gaps in past policies. It also addresses new developments that have had significant adverse impacts on employment creation in the country. In this respect, this policy places emphasis on issues such as gender diversification of the Nigerian workforce, social protection of Nigerian workers, the integration of regional migration issues into employment policy and youth entrepreneurship and employment. The Nigerian labour market was reviewed both from the demand and supply perspectives. From the demand perspective, the goal was to map out sectors with employment opportunities in the economy. The supply side of the labour market enabled the exploration of the education system and demographics of the country. Besides, major policies affecting employment generation, including existing education policies and practices were reviewed to understand their linkages to the employment situation in the country. Given their primary role in linking skills acquisition with employment and inclusive economic growth, the involvement of workers and employers is essential. Stakeholders made inputs to the policy document during series of consultation sessions and through questionnaires. Extensive consultation sessions and bilateral meetings were conducted with a wide range of stakeholders and social partners in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to obtain their inputs. Private sector and employer groups, youth, academics NEP 2017 12 National Employment Policy | 2017 as well as labour and trade unions were also consulted. Various stakeholders and social partners made additional inputs to the first draft of the policy document. This document is organized into six major sections. The first section, which is the introduction, presents a synoptic background. This includes an overview of the National Employment Policy (NEP) in Nigeria, the conceptual framework and methodologies adopted. In the second section, the objectives, scope and principles of the NEP are presented. Section three examines the dynamics of the labour market within the context of the growing Nigerian economy. This section also presents the synopsis of the two reports that informed the NEP review. The fourth section discusses the strategies of the NEP. This section looks at the policy environment of key areas and sectors of the Nigerian economy. It highlights policy gaps, and recommends the necessary policy actions to stimulate employment generation across sectors of the economy. Section 5 advances the implementation strategies, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms, review, and the expected achievement indicators and outcomes of the NEP. The social partners and actor networks needed for a successful implementation of the NEP in Nigeria are presented in section six. NEP 2017 13 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 2 EMPLOYMENT POLICY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LABOUR MARKET IN NIGERIA This section of the NEP examines the current macroeconomic indicators and the labour market situation in Nigeria. The section also presents the key findings of two reports produced preparatory to this policy. The first report is on employment mapping in Nigeria, while the second one analyzes the constraints to inclusive and job-rich growth in Nigeria. These two reports inform the NEP review in Nigeria. 2.1 Overview of the Nigerian Economy With a robust growth rate, the Nigerian economy has undergone some good measure of expansion in the past decade. With the rebasing of its GDP series in 2014, the country emerged as the largest economy in Africa. The rebasing and the consequent increase in Nigeria’s GDP comes from changes in some sectors such as manufacturing, real estate, communications and other services, which experienced rapid growth. The resource share of the economy, especially oil and gas, has fallen by more than half, from 33 to 14 percent in 2014. Recent studies have shown that the economy is more diversified with about 86 percent of the GDP outside the resource sector. This notwithstanding, 75 percent of federal revenue comes from taxes on the oil and gas sector, and they constitute more than 90 percent of the country’s exports. With the total economy worth $521.8 billion in 2014, the country has the largest market size in the African region (World Bank 2016). The expanding size of the economy coupled with the increasing political stability in the country, makes Nigeria attractive for foreign direct investments as a frontline economy. Nigeria’s economy can be classified into three major sectors namely: primary/agriculture and natural resources; secondary-processing and manufacturing; and tertiary/services sectors. After years of impressive economic growth, the Nigerian economy fell into recession in second quarter of 2016. Caused in part by the decline in the global oil prices coupled with the incessant attack by militants on oil infrastructure in the country, oil output in the country declined from 2.11 million barrels (mbpd) in the first quarter of 2016 to 1.69 mbpd in the second quarter (CBN, 2016). These trends have caused a tremendous drag on the Nigerian economy. However, in addition to subdued oil prices and the challenges facing the oil industry in Nigeria, the macroeconomic framework of the country has been weakened by a combination of non-oil factors. Among these are import restrictions, increasing interest rate, hike in commodity prices, persistent shortage in foreign exchange, and the depreciation of the Naira. The above factors have impacted negatively on the overall economic outlook of the country. These factors have collectively restrained the macroeconomic environment in Nigeria thereby NEP 2017 14 National Employment Policy | 2017 causing an unusual economic situation of stagflation in the country – a major decline in GDP (i.e., recessionary gap) and a dramatic increase in inflation (i.e., inflationary gap). Consequently, GDP growth contracted -2.06 percent (year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2016. The decline in GDP proved to be lower by 1.70 percent points from the growth rate of –0.36 percent recorded in the first quarter of 2016, and also lower by 4.41 percent points from the growth rate of 2.35 percent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015 (NBS, 2016). Generally, the effect of this decline has trickled down to virtually every macroeconomic indicator. Thus, there is a notable decline in the manufacturing sector, increase in balance of payment deficits, weak external sector performance, negative fiscal performances, increased consumer prices, sharp increase in debt profiles, decline in FDI, decline in capital importation, and unstable foreign reserve position. At the end of August of 2016, inflation rate in the country stood at 17.6 percent (NBS, 2016b). The breakdown of real GDP to oil and non-oil sectors in the Nigerian economy indicates that the economy is dominated by the non-oil sector. The non-oil sector driven by seven (7) activities contributed 91.7percent in the second quarter of 2016 (NBS, 2016b). These activities are Agriculture, Information & Communication, Water supply, Arts entertainment and recreation, Professional scientific and technical services, Education and Other Services. However, there was a negative growth of -17.48 percent in the oil sector in the same period (NBS, 2016b). The contributions of the non-oil sectors in overall performance of the Nigerian economy is reinforced by the significant growth in other sectors such as information and communication technology (ICT), transportation, hotel, construction, real estate and financial sector. One crucial but less appreciated dynamic of Nigeria’s evolving economy is the fast-growing size of the consuming class. Although more than 40 percent of the country’s population falls below the national poverty line, more households in the country are moving up the income ladder. For instance, it was estimated in 2013 that 8 million households in Nigeria had incomes of more than US$7,500 per year . In 2014, Nigeria’s consumer market was worth nearly $400 Billion per year, and it is projected to reach $1.4 Trillion a year by 2030. The increasing rate of consumption capacity translates to an increase in aggregate demand, an increase in economic production, and a marginal increase in demand for labour. Generally speaking, the development of some novel aspects of the real economy in recent years such as the ICT sector, the creative and entertainment (a.k.a. Nollywood) industry and the expansion of agricultural value-chain initiative, have collectively introduced new elements, which are yet to be harmonized and integrated within the national employment scheme in Nigeria. The increasing rate of unemployment in the country has equally highlighted the imperative to address youth unemployment, employment of persons with disability, gender inequality and high representation of women in precarious, informal, less remunerated and sustainable jobs in Nigeria. Other evolving trends with a direct bearing on productive employment include migration within the West African sub-region, skills mismatch and employability, and the development of effective national social protection systems such as NEP 2017 15 National Employment Policy | 2017 unemployment insurance schemes or welfare protection for Nigerian workers. The current state of the unemployment situation in Nigeria underscores the need for the National Employment Policy Review. 2.2 The Labour Market and Unemployment Situation in Nigeria A good knowledge about the labour market trends in Nigeria is essential in the formulation of an effective employment policy. Nigeria has an estimated population of 181 million people, of which 70 percent is under the age of 30 (Nigeria Stock Exchange, 2014). In 2014, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) redefined the benchmark of employment and unemployment statistics in Nigeria. The agency adopted the 20 hours a week benchmark, as against the 40 hours used in the past. According to the ILO (The 13th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 1982) the “employed” comprise all persons of working age who during a specified brief period, such as one week or one day, were in the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). The definition of “employment” by the ILO is broader when compared with the 20-hour benchmark developed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2014. With this adjustment, Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased from 10.4 percent in the last quarter of 2015 to 12.1 percent in the First quarter of 2016 (NBS, 2016a). This means that there were a total of 24.50million persons in the labour force that were either unemployed or underemployed (Ibid). The implication is that even with an adjustment in the method of measurement, the unemployment situation in the country is not getting better. If the National Bureau of Statistics had used its previous methodology, unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2016 would have risen to 32.2 percent (NBS, 2016a). Disaggregation of the unemployed workforce in Nigeria shows that the youth (15-35 years) registered the highest unemployment rate of 16.39 percent in the first quarter of 2016 (Ibid). Previously, the NBS defined unemployment as the proportion of the workforce that did no work at all, or worked less than 40 hours a week during the reference period. The new unemployment methodology shows that unemployment rate among women is 23 percent while that of men stood at 15.1 percent in the first quarter of 2016 (Ibid). However, what is not clearly defined and analyzed is the relationship between jobs and income in Nigeria. It is obvious that while many members of the Nigerian workforce may be employed, their income remains insufficient as a strong cushion against poverty. With its youthful population, Nigeria has one of the largest working-age population in the world. Routine job surveys conducted by NBS show that the Nigerian economy has continued to create employment in recent years. However, most of these jobs are created in the informal sector. For instance, 54 percent of the 1,167,740 jobs created in 2013 came from the informal sector; the formal sector (private) accounted for 37 percent, while 9 percent was generated in the public sector (World Bank, 2014). NEP 2017 16 National Employment Policy | 2017 As expected, as Nigeria’s population increases, the economically active population (persons within ages 15-64) increases. Thus, the country’s working age population increased from 105.02 million in the last quarter of 2015 to 106.0 million in the first quarter in 2016 (NBS, 2016). In the same vein, the labour force population (i.e., unemployed plus employed persons) in Nigeria increased in the first quarter of 2016 to 78.4 million from 76.9 million in the last quarter of 2015, representing an increase of 1.99 percent (NBS, 2016a). This implies that labour productivity contributes more to economic growth in Nigeria than labour force expansion. Despite the improvement in labour productivity, Nigeria lags behind its peers in terms of its output per worker. In addition to its low ratio of employment to population of 29 percent, Nigeria’s output per worker is 57 percent less than the average of the seven large developing economies in the world. Thus, the unemployment situation in the country can be attributed to various demographic, economic, social and infrastructural factors. These issues have been categorized under the key employment policy issues in Nigeria. In Nigeria, the public sector, which is comprised of the three tiers of government, remains the biggest employers of wage labour with about 1.2 million employees. One major factor that reduced public employment in the late 1980s and early 1990s was the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) by the Nigerian Government. The implication of SAP was the withdrawal of the government from direct involvement in productive economic activity and employment generations. Consequently, there was a substantial reduction in public sector employment through public sector retrenchment and privatization of State‐owned enterprises in Nigeria. The employment problem in Nigeria often manifests in “under- employment” in the informal sector. Unable to get jobs in the organized sector, unemployed Nigerians are forced to eke out a living in overcrowded petty occupations either working for informal enterprises or setting themselves up as hawkers and providers of casual services. Typically, they have low incomes and little real work. Though counted as “employed” under the new employment measurement in the country, they are perpetually in poverty because their income falls below the cost of living. About 54.6 million people are engaged in the informal sector of the Nigerian economy (NBS, 2010). When broken down along the gender line, the NBS study reveals that more females (27.4 million) are engaged in the informal sector than males (27.1 million) (Ibid). The study also revealed that more women were working without pay, or as casual workers than men. The labour market situation and employment outcomes in Nigeria are derivatives of various factors and socio-political and economic linkages. These are factors that affect the demand and supply of labour in the economy. As shown on Table 1, employment situation in Nigeria is directly influenced by the demand-side and supply-side factors in the job market. However, there are factors that can affect simultaneously the demand and supply of employment opportunities in the labour market. Good examples are factors that act as incentives for the attraction of labour such as high wage levels, compliance with labour regulations, and employment support services. NEP 2017 17 National Employment Policy | 2017 At the same time, high minimum wage rate and excessive regulation can impose additional cost to production thereby causing a decline in the demand for labour by employers. Generally, labour productivity in Nigeria has remained low. For instance, between 2010 and 2014, labour productivity per hour in Nigeria grew from N420 to N639 (equivalent of US$1), while the labour force increased from 65 to 73 million (NBS, 2015b). Low Labour productivity in the country is due to a number of constraints facing economic activities among which are: low motivation among workers, corruption or bad practices among high-ranking officials (public and private), and poor funding of capacity-building programs. Consequently, past efforts by different administrations in poverty alleviation programs, skill acquisition, agriculture and trade aimed to increase productivity and job creation are yet to achieve its stated objectives. Table 1: Factors Influencing the Labour Market in Nigeria Conditions Description Population growth rate and size of the labour Population Structure & Growth force. With a growing and youthful population, Nigeria has a higher supply in the labour market. Easy flow of migrants from neighboring Migration West African countries adds pressure to the Nigerian labour market. Education and training system in Nigeria Supply-Side Education & Training System produce graduates without the needed Factors knowledge, skills and qualifications for available employment in the labour market. The Nigerian labour market is in need of middle-level technical skills, which are in Skill Acquisition & Mindsets limited supply by the country’s education and training system. Other variables such as manual skills and abilities, behavioural skills, entrepreneurial skills are also in limited supply. Security concerns play a major role in Security Risks influencing investment decisions in part of Nigeria. NEP 2017 18 National Employment Policy | 2017 The state of physical infrastructure (e.g., Physical Infrastructure electric power, water, bridges, roads etc.,) influences the ability of the manufacturing sector to produce at full capacity and create more jobs. Demand-Side Economic Growth & Industrial Economic growth, which is a function of the Factors Development overall demand for goods and services, stimulates production/economic activity. This in turn, generates employment as firms/industry would require additional labour to expand output Available Credit Facilities & Entrepreneurial and creative spirit generates Entrepreneurship new employment opportunities, especially in the private sector. Productivity Higher labour productivity lowers cost of production, thereby increasing the demand for labour. Technological changes in production could Technological Innovation result in a decreased demand for labour, and skill redundancy. This takes place especially if workers lack the technological skills required in the new types of occupations in the economy. Corporate Values & Practices The ability and willingness of private companies to comply with employment regulations, ethical standards and job- centered practices. 2.3 Employment Mapping in Nigeria The reviewed National Employment Policy is informed largely by an ILO preliminary report titled “Employment Mapping and Institutional Assessment and Coordination Mechanism Study: The Case of Nigeria”. The report provides an audit of the various employment programmes and projects at Federal level and selected states in Nigeria. The report assessed who is doing what in job creation, in which sector(s) and in which States. It also examined the source(s) of funding, impact and sustainability of outputs and outcomes; implementation and coordination mechanisms; and challenges facing such employment initiatives. The employment report notes that a number of programs and projects are built within the framework of the Nigerian Vision 20:2020. They are aimed to foster job-intensive and engender private sector-led growth in the NEP 2017 19 National Employment Policy | 2017 economy. Existing employment-related initiatives within the private sector in the country are grouped in the following order: i. Initiatives or programmes aimed at creating employment through improving access to finance for both start-ups and existing micro small and medium enterprises; ii. Training programmes aimed at supporting and developing entrepreneurial and business skills of women and youths; and iii. Internship programmes which are aimed at integrating new entrants (including university graduates) into formal and informal labour markets. Other findings of the mapping exercise are outlined below: i. Institutional framework for accomplishment of the goals of employment policy in Nigeria remains largely uncoordinated and undeveloped. ii. Challenges to job creation in the country includes: a. duplication of employment programmes; b. skill mismatch resulting in lack of technical skills that are in demand in the labour market; c. lack of basic infrastructure essential for entrepreneurial activities; d. influx of foreign-made goods; e. low productivity and value addition for exports (especially in agriculture and solid mineral sectors). 2.4. Constraints to Inclusive Growth in Nigeria The second report that underpins this policy is another study titled “Binding Constraints to Inclusive and Job-Rich Growth in Nigeria: A Review of Macro and Sector Policies and Strategies”. This study employed the Inclusive Growth Analytics to examine the basic constraints to inclusive growth in the Nigerian economy. The report shows that despite the rapid growth of the Nigerian economy in GDP terms, such growth has not benefited the majority of Nigerians through the creation of decent jobs. In contrast, the Nigerian society has experienced a relative rise in poverty in the midst of rapid economic growth in recent years. This is an indication of a structural disequilibrium of growth, unemployment and poverty in Nigeria. The study argues that the Nigerian economy has the potential to generate sufficient and decent jobs. However, this is dependent on the ability of the government to painstakingly address the various constraints to inclusive growth identified in the report (See Box 1). Box 1: Key Findings of the Study on Inclusive and Job-rich Growth in Nigeria The specific circumstances constraining inclusive and job-rich growth were analyzed by employing a growth diagnostic approach. This is based on the Business Enabling Environment Approach (BEEA) and Employability Analysis Approach (EMPA). Against this background, the report identified two broad categories of constraints to inclusive growth in Nigeria, namely: constraints to business environment in Nigeria; and NEP 2017 20 National Employment Policy | 2017 employability challenges of Nigerian graduates. The constraints to inclusive growth in Nigeria are directly related to poor physical infrastructure, poor human capital formation, particularly, in the educational system and the inability to transform output growth to job creation. The major constraints to private sector-led investment in employment-intensive industries in Nigeria are:  Poor physical infrastructure (roads, railway system, electricity, internet broadband and communication technology and water management)  Inefficient institutional infrastructure or appropriability concerns (i.e., the system of government and law enforcement, the rule of law and insecurity in the country)  High cost of finance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The implicated constraints to inclusive growth in Nigeria point to the fact that: the structural transformation and economic diversification of the economy are central to inclusive and job-rich growth in the country. The inclusiveness of the Nigerian economy can be guaranteed by addressing these constraints through basic policy actions. Collectively, the findings on employment mapping and constraints to inclusive growth inform and underpin the present NEP . NEP 2017 21 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 3 OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND PRINCIPLES OF THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT POLICY 3.1 Goals of NEP The goal of the National Employment Policy is to create the enabling environment for productive and employment-intensive growth in Nigeria. The goal of achieving full employment and the means of attaining such a lofty goal constitutes policy challenges. Nigeria has ratified ILO Convention No. 122 on Employment Policy, which stipulates that, “each Member shall declare and pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment.” However, decent employment remains one of the unmet socio-economic needs in Nigeria. Thus, the goal of the National Employment Policy is to ensure a job-rich and inclusive economic growth in Nigeria. This can be accomplished through a combination of wage employment and self-employment. Focus on an employment-centered economic growth will create decent and sustainable employment opportunities, reduce poverty and expand the country’s workforce, with improved quality of life and social wellbeing for all. As a macroeconomic challenge, employment policy recommends a multi-pronged approach to the generation of sufficient job opportunities from all sectors of the economy. 3.2 Objectives of the National Employment Policy The objectives of the National Employment Policy are to: i) Promote the goal of full employment as a priority in national, economic and social policy, and to enable all men and women who are available and willing to work, to attain secured and sustainable livelihood through full productive and freely chosen employment and work; ii) Provide the fullest possible opportunity to each worker to qualify for and to use his/her skills and endowments in a job for which he/she is well suited, irrespective of race, sex, religion , political opinion, physical disabilities, national extraction, ethnic or social origin; iii) Stimulate economic growth and development, eradicate poverty, and improve the levels of living by minimizing the rates of unemployment and underemployment, optimizing the utilization of labour and human resources and protecting areas in which Nigeria is well endowed. Furthermore, to promote the development of relevant manpower/human resources that will continually meet the needs of the nation. . NEP 2017 22 National Employment Policy | 2017 iv) Highlight the multi-sectorial character of employment generation and the collective responsibility of key stakeholders through harmonized efforts toward achieving this goal; v) Design strategies that will promote skills and competencies for those in the formal and informal sector especially in rural areas; vi) Promote conducive and enabling environment to enhance the growth of the private sector and transformation of the informal sector into formal sector; vii) Enhance the integration of migrant labour on employment outcomes in the Nigerian labour market, and within the West African sub-region; viii) Ensure income security and social protection of Nigerian workers; Promote and safeguard the basic rights and interests of Nigerian workers in accordance with International Labour Standards; ix) Foster inclusive economic growth and adequate allocation of investable resources to employment potential sectors such as agriculture, non- farm activities in rural areas, manufacturing and agro-value addition industries, and infrastructure and social services sectors; x) Promote the creation and maintenance of a functional labour market information system (LMIS) in Nigeria; and xi) Recommend an effective strategy for the implementation of national employment policy in Nigeria through a harmonized monitoring and evaluation mechanism. 3.3 Principles of the National Employment Policy The National Employment Policy will be coordinated and implemented within the framework of national economic and social policy. In this regard, this Policy will be consistent with the overall development strategies of Nigeria as outlined in the National Rolling and Perspective Plans. The Government policy on employment generation, emphasises the provision of a favourable environment for private investment and job creation. These relate to the stabilization of the economy by checking inflation, a simple exchange rate determined by the market, a liberalised trade regime, encouraging savings and productivity, privatization and stimulation of investment, in order to accelerate economic recovery, growth and accelerated job creation. The government will endeavour to maintain stable and favourable macro-economic policies, invest in human resources and provide basic infrastructure, and provide appropriate incentives to promote the private sector as the main engine of economic growth and job creation in Nigeria. It will also guarantee security of persons and property. In addition, the Government will continually build the capacities of relevant institutions charged with job creation to enable them play effectively both direct and catalytic roles. It is the private sector therefore, which should play the leading role of investing in the productive enterprise that provide increased employment and generate incomes. This calls for national promotion of an “enterprises culture” which will induce self-reliance, risk taking, and a national environment that rewards effort and initiative. Individuals, groups, and the community at large, in line with decentralization and participatory development, also have important responsibility for employment creation. Consequently, individuals and groups should be ready to create their NEP 2017 23 National Employment Policy | 2017 own jobs. There will be the need to move from a culture of “job seekers” to “job creators” and self-employment. While providing for a greater role for the private sector, and market principles in employment and job creation, it is a well-known paradox that the operation of the open market system often leads to the marginalization of vulnerable sections of the population. These include women, especially, women in the rural and urban informal sectors, the youth, elderly persons, those with disabilities, and the unemployed. The government shall protect and assist those groups through adequate safety net, such as the special compensatory and well targeted programmes envisaged under the National Directorate of Employment. The NEP is grounded on existing institutional setting, human capital needs, skill challenges and labour market realities in Nigeria. The NEP identifies, programs and projects that create decent jobs in the key productive sectors of the economy and incentivise the private sector to invest in skill acquisition, employment and increased production. The reviewed policy aims to achieve sustainable job creation by incentivizing private-sector investment in the real sector, stimulating local economic production by large industries and industrial clusters of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It encourages import substitution through regulatory policies that protect local industry and jobs. This policy will improve productivity, quality and efficiency of a larger, younger and gender-balanced workforce through improved entrepreneurial education, vocational skills training and social protection. By highlighting the need for adequate education and skills, the NEP recommend ways to improve the employability of workers, the productivity of enterprises and the inclusiveness of growth in the Nigerian economy. 3.4 Scope of the National Employment Policy The following issues and topics are covered in the National Employment Policy in Nigeria: 1. Human capital development, employability of labour force and skills acquisition in Nigeria 2. Private sector growth, cooperatives, MSMES and job creation in Nigeria 3. Sectoral value-chains and employment generation in Nigeria 4. Prospects of environmentally friendly (Green) Jobs 5. Labour-based public works projects and employment creation in Nigeria 6. Infrastructural development and maintenance as a key strategy in job creation in the economy 7. Vulnerable groups (i.e., women, youth people with disabilities) in employment generation in Nigeria 8. The governance of labour migration and employment generation 9. Macroeconomic policies and job creation 10. Creating sustainable and decent jobs 11. Strengthening labour inspection to enforce existing labour laws in the country NEP 2017 24 National Employment Policy | 2017 12. Creating safe environment for employment generation 13. Vocational Skills Acquisition/upgrading and certification 14. Licensing of Private Employment Agencies 15. Employment of People with disabilities 16. Implementation plan, including monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools with proposed timelines for policy review. NEP 2017 25 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 4 NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES This section outlines the strategies and framework for employment generation and the reduction in unemployment and underemployment in the country. The policy examines challenges facing the labour market and productivity; and mapped out eleven areas for direct intervention and strategies. An effective national employment strategy depends upon the integration of a host of economic and social policies. This is because of the multi-sectoral dimension of employment with an extensive range of macro- and micro-economic policies. These include macro-economic stability, trade and exchange rate policies, agricultural and industrial development and technology, credit, labour market, labour productivity, skill acquisition, training and education policies, to mention some of the more important areas. The situational assessment of the Nigerian labour market and the entire economy reveals key employment trends, opportunities and constraints for quality job creation in Nigeria. This evidence is used as the basis for prioritizing policy responses and recommendations in this document. These sectoral factors affect job creation, workers’ productivity, private sector growth, skill acquisition and social protection of workers. These factors cut across both the demand and supply sides of the labour market. For a more coherent review, these factors were consolidated and articulated into eleven interrelated and mutually supportive areas, which are in alignment with international labour practices and the broad objectives of this policy. These areas of intervention and their categories are used for the formulation of comprehensive policy proposals to ensure the delivery of productive employment and decent work in Nigeria. 4.1 Human Capital Development, Employability of Labour Force, Skills Acquisition and Application. 4.1.1 Functional Education and Skill Training System The Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with other stakeholders shall identify the workforce needs of the Nigerian labour market. This will ensure that tertiary institutions of learning in the country are producing the skills and credentials that Nigerian employers need through the alignment of education and industry. Such a priority for workforce development will include the foresight to terminate ineffective and obsolete protocols and procedures in the education system at all levels. Therefore, the Ministry and stakeholders shall give more attention to workforce development activities, including education, training and the development of skill sets demanded in the labour market. To this effect, the Ministry shall coordinate a national initiative aimed to address the “skills gap” that threatens the preparedness of young Nigerians entering the workforce. The mission of this initiative is to provide Nigerian students rigorous academic/career pathways, which are linked to economic and labour market needs and trends. NEP 2017 26 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 1: To Improve the Quality of Teaching Profession and Provide Appropriate Incentives for Nigerian Teachers. 1.1 The Federal and State Ministries of Education shall address the quality of teachers in our educational system by providing funding for teacher training, certification standards and welfare of teachers across the country. 1.2 To address the problem of poor staffing of primary, secondary and technical colleges across the country, the Federal and State Ministries of Education shall provide the necessary incentives to attract and retain qualified teachers in the system. 1.3 To improve the quality of foundational education in the country, the Federal and State governments shall improve the pay and working conditions of teachers. 1.4 The Federal and State MoE shall provide ongoing professional development and on-the-job coaching to help teachers improve their skills. 1.5 Teachers in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria will be trained to promote intellectual curiosity, value creation, critical thinking, problems solving and many core skills that shall help students find their way later in life. Objective 2: To align education system and skills training with the demand of the labour market in Nigeria. 2.1 The output and relevance of the education and training systems in Nigeria shall be monitored and evaluated to ensure that it is in line with the demand of the labour market. The Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) shall oversee the synchronization of all levels of education system with the current and future labour demands. 2.2 The Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) shall have the primary responsibility for the availability of data on the number of graduates produced each year for the labour market and their respective areas of discipline. This would provide a credible data source to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for analytsis, benchmark studies with peer group countries, projections to aid planning and general research. All of this would improve effective skills mapping and development to meet industry demands. 2.3 The FMoE, FML&E, NISER shall conduct skill gap mapping on a regularly basis in conjunction with other key stakeholders such as NUC, NECA, Trade Unions, and other professional bodies. 2.4 The tertiary education in Nigeria shall link on-the-job experiential training and classroom education. This will provide opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire the level of skills required in the world of work. The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and similar regulatory bodies can be given the mandate to facilitate this strategy. 2.5 The FMoE and stakeholders shall establish a feedback mechanism from employers of labour on the training needs (e.g., special skills in new areas) of employees in order to assist education planners and curriculum review/development. NEP 2017 27 National Employment Policy | 2017 2.6 The Federal government shall provide the necessary incentives to businesses to encourage them to collaborate with universities, polytechnics and other technical institutions of learning to produce graduates with employable skills. Partnership between businesses and educational system will design a demand driven skill training and educational programs in Nigeria. This will bridge the gap between skills businesses require and those created by the educational system in the country. 2.7 The FMoE shall monitor, oversee and approve all educational systems, including technical and formal vocational training, at all levels of government in Nigeria. 2.8 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall develop standards, monitor and oversee all informal vocational training in Nigeria. Objective 3: To develop a sustainable framework to stimulate an ICT-driven education sector. 3.1 Since schools are medium for building the capacity of young people and teachers acting as primary educators, tertiary institutions shall collaborate with Digital Bridge Institute and other ICT-based institutions to design and organize scalable technology-driven teaching methods for teachers to ensure that students acquire the necessary skill sets in demand at the labour market; 3.2 The Federal and State Governments shall increase budgetary allocation for vocational education & training and invest in modern tools required to raise a generation of talented youth workforce ready for the changing dynamics of workplaces; 3.3 The Federal and State Government shall create incentives to encourage young girls particularly, those in schools to embrace STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and ICT. Objective 4: To ensure the involvement of Industry in Education, Training and Skill Development. 4.1 The Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) shall seek active industry involvement in education and training, and this will begin early on in a student’s learning pathway. The collaborative involvement shall be through the following: i. Curricular design and alignment with labour market needs; ii. Industrial attachment; iii. Student career fairs and site visits; iv. Employer visits to schools; v. Industry advisory councils; vi. Other active work-based learning experiences. NEP 2017 28 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.1.2 Higher Education for Employment Employability is dependent on the level of practical knowledge and skills an individual possesses. There is a significant decline in employability skills and “fit” among graduates of Higher Education (HE) in Nigeria for the few jobs available. This has resulted in the decline of trust by industry in the quality of graduates and local University Certification in the country. Objective 1: Adequate funding of higher education system in Nigeria 1.1 Given the gap in funding, the Federal and State Government shall consider innovative and fair methods of ensuring that higher education is sufficiently funded. 1.2 Besides the payment of the salaries of academic and non-academic staff in higher institutions of learning, the government and HE administrators shall develop an effective strategy to ensure that other aspects of higher education especially research is adequately funded. This is an area that impact positively on higher education quality by providing students with the necessary set of skills and qualifications demanded in the labour market. 1.3 Tertiary educational institutions shall devise ways and means of generating revenue to reduce their reliance on the Government. 1.4 The private sector shall be encouraged through appropriate incentives to partner with the higher education system in various ways such as: - Funding of research activities in specified fields of knowledge in Nigeria. - Establishment of industrial-based technical academies, owned and operated by private manufacturers - Development of curriculum, monitoring of courses and industrial training. 4.1.3 Functional Technical and Vocational Education Training System in Nigeria Objective 1: To develop and enrich formal technical and vocational education system in Nigeria. 1.1 Government shall provide adequate funding for existing Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions in Nigeria to produce graduates with the technical and vocational skills required to exploit the value chains of employment intensive industries. 1.2 There is a great deal of overlap in focus among various types of tertiary institutions of learning in Nigeria. The NUC and NBTE shall ensure that educational institutions under their supervision operates within their mandate. 1.3 TVET shall be given more recognition in the overall scheme of higher education in Nigeria. This shall be accomplished through equipping TVE graduates with the right set of skills. 1.4 The FML&E shall institutionalize Apprenticeship Scheme and encourage corporate sponsorship of apprenticeship training. NEP 2017 29 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 2: The overall acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills, which are relevant for employment. 2.1 Nigerian universities shall review their curriculum to emphasize the integration of the various components of economic value chains with emphasis on job-rich sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture. 2.2 To ensure the acquisition of practical skills, students’ industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) shall be strictly reinforced for graduation in Nigerian universities for technically- oriented disciplines. 2.3 Nigerian university graduates lack industrial training partly because industries are not involved in providing the needed practical training. Therefore, private industries shall be incentivized to participate in the SIWES for Nigerian graduates. Such incentive can be in form of reduced tax rates for participating private businesses. 2.4 The technical school curriculum shall be reviewed to include more vocational and practical skills training. Senior and junior secondary school curriculum shall include some mandatory technical and vocational training. The goal is to impart training among young adults and equip them with diverse skills that are demanded in the job market. 2.5 To balance theoretical and practical training, the NBTE shall ensure that additional practical and experiential training, such as SIWES shall be added to the curriculum of existing technical schools across the country. Where major gaps exist, TVET institutions shall review their curriculum to align with the skill demands of the labour market. 2.6 To increase enrolment and training of TVET students in Nigeria, efforts shall be made to increase the participation of women and people with disabilities. 2.7 To improve access to quality vocational education in formal and non-formal educational training institutions at Federal and State levels shall provide appropriate learning and teaching equipment, furniture, computers and accessories, curriculum-related teaching and learning resources (including textbooks, guides, reference manuals etc.), and other essential resources to enhance teaching and learning of TVET for improved employability of youth trained in such schools. 2.8 To recognize creativity and support talents within and outside the formal education system, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) shall implement the Six-Level National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) approved by the Federal Executive Council for the country in 2013. This framework recognizes and certifies skills and vocations outside the school system and place them in the scheme of service. 2.9 All technical and vocational training schools, including institutions like the NDE and ITF in the country shall be strengthened, properly funded and equipped with quality and market-aligned NEP 2017 30 National Employment Policy | 2017 equipment with competent and qualified teachers/instructors. To conform to international standards on technical and vocational training, teachers/instructors shall be required to use ILO entrepreneurship training manuals and tools, value chains methodology and other tools. 2.10 The NBTE and the National Orientation Agency shall use public campaigns to re-brand and promote TVET among young Nigerians. Efforts shall be made in all the 774 local government areas in the country to incentivize youth, women and PWDs towards vocational training. Such efforts shall include National awards and competitions for technical and vocational education aimed at improving the perception of technical and vocational education among Nigerian youth. 2.11 The Government shall promote and fund Capacity Training of TVET Master Trainers to fit into NVQF, especially the informal sector. 4.1.4 Acquisition of Soft (Life) Skills Employers fill job advertisements with a list of ideal requirements most applicants do not have, resulting in low match rates and few potential candidates. Many fresh graduates, while technically sound, lack basic ICT, communication, interpersonal and other critical soft skills to obtain and keep a job. It is for this reason that employers of labour complain that they spend a long time working on fresh graduates they employ in order to bring them up to industry standards in terms of work habit and entry point competence Objective 1: development of general soft skills among Nigerian graduates 1.1 Higher institutions of learning in the country shall ensure that their graduates acquired the following soft skills before graduation: a. Problem solving and analytical skills b. Character, Integrity and High Ethical standards c. Intellectual curiosity, reflective and conceptual thinking d. Effective communication and literacy skills (writing, speaking, reading and listening) e. Interpersonal and team skills. Ability to make things happen, organizing and working within teams f. Researching information: ability to retrieve, use and present information g. Self-esteem and personal confidence h. Self-discipline and control i. Leadership skills j. Customer service skills 4.1.5 Improved Productivity of Workers and Human Capital Development in Nigeria The productivity of the Nigerian worker is one of the determinants of the competitiveness of the country’s economy and sustained economic growth. In the same vein, the creation of productive and sustainable employment opportunities is an underlying principle of productivity NEP 2017 31 National Employment Policy | 2017 enhancement. Hence, there is a symbiotic relationship between productivity and employment in the economy. Labour force productivity emanates from the relationship between resource inputs and economic outputs, based on innovative practices in the workplace. Productivity is essential in raising welfare of workers and the competitiveness of a country. It is evident that many factors have contributed to low productivity trap of the Nigerian worker. Among these are: lack of productivity measurement, lack of training, low income growth, low level of technology integration, low level of capacity utilization, poor infrastructure, lack of high skilled and qualified domestic workers in certain areas of the economy and the challenges of a national integrated institutional framework for productivity advancement and management. Objective 1: To advance the productivity of the Nigerian workforce and enhance inclusive and sustainable employment generation in the country. 1.1 The National Productivity Center (NPC) shall promote productivity in public and private sectors in Nigeria by fully utilizing the asset of the Nigerian labour force. This is because, higher level of productivity is associated with higher and inclusive economic growth, sustainable employment creation, increased income, increase market competition, improved and innovated use of resources, better working conditions and reduction in poverty. 1.2 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall design and implement a robust framework for measuring productivity at private and public sectors and at local, state and national levels in Nigeria. 1.3 The NPC in conjunction with other national agencies shall create a system of performance benchmarking and productivity-based reward mechanism that would induce productivity improvement in all sectors of the Nigerian economy. 1.5 The National Productivity Center (NPC) shall teach and direct SMEs in the country on how to thrive and acquire the mindset to succeed in a competitive environment. 1.6 The government shall encourage the development of productivity champions in the public and private sectors. Productivity champions are individuals, public and private institutions and agencies that have demonstrated innovative services through the promotion and improvement of the various strategic elements of productivity and investment in human capital in the economy. 4.2 Private Sector Growth, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Job Creation in Nigeria 4.2.1 Private Sector Growth Job creation in a free market economy depends largely on the private sector and the development of entrepreneurship. However, the growth of the sector in the Nigerian economy is impeded and stifled by many factors among which are limited access to finance, weak infrastructure base, especially power supply etc. These factors create unstable business environment, which hinder entrepreneurial development. NEP 2017 32 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 1: To enhance the capacity of businesses in the private sector to drive the economy and lead in employment generation and labour absorption in the country. 1.1 Local and foreign private businesses in Nigeria shall be encouraged by the government to grow and expand, particularly, in employment-intensive sectors. 1.2 Key support agencies such as NDE and SMEDAN shall be strengthened to enable them effectively deliver on their mandates. 1.3 New and existing MSMEs need additional and ongoing training and entrepreneurial education. This will help in the development of their managerial skills, business skills, and financial literacy. 1.4 Efforts shall be made to motivate younger people who are not highly motivated to become entrepreneurs. The SMEDAN and the NDE shall liaise with National Orientation Agency and NUC to jointly carry out a sensitization campaign in tertiary institutions of learning across the country. 1.5 The SMEDAN shall facilitate capacity building for small businesses at the grassroots overseeing the creation of functional cooperative associations. 1.6 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall develop and implement the National policy on Entrepreneurship. 4.2.2 Improved Access to Credit Facilities for MSMEs Objective 1: Ensure Easier Access to Credit Facilities and Soft Loans for MSMEs 1.1. The CBN shall encourage financial institutions to provide credit support and guarantee loans to MSMEs and business start-ups in Nigeria. 1.2 Awareness of the availability and sources of credit facilities for MSMEs shall be created by the CBN. 1.3 To strengthen the ability of MSMEs in the country to meet their loan obligations, additional educational and financial literacy training shall be conducted for new and existing small business owners. 4.2.3 Small Business Empowerment Objective 1: Encourage and facilitate the formation and empowerment of small business organizations. 1.1. The empowerment of MSMEs shall be encouraged through the formation of cooperative societies. 1.2. MSMEs cooperative shall serve as channels for capacity building, training sessions, information dissemination and guidance on relevant issues for small businesses. NEP 2017 33 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.2.4 Improved Market Access for MSMEs Objective 1: To improve market access for MSMEs and protection from foreign competition. 1.1. The Nigerian government shall promote small businesses in the country through appropriate fiscal policies. 1.2. Existing policies on import substitution shall be vigorously pursued while the country’s borders shall be guarded against influx of prohibited merchandise. 1.3. To gain sufficient local and foreign market access, awareness of the availability and quality of the products of small businesses in Nigeria shall be created and sustained. Existing institutions charged with the responsibility of organizing trade fairs to display and market goods and services of small businesses shall be strengthened. 4.2.5 Improved Physical Infrastructure Objective 1: Provision of physical infrastructure to reduce cost of doing business. 1.1. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Council (NERC) shall ensure that players in electricity market provide stable supply of electric power to SMEs. 1.2. Federal and state governments shall embark on the construction and rehabilitation of road networks in the country to enhance road transportation and movement of goods across the country. 1.3 To provide cost-effective system of moving commercial items, the Federal Government shall continue the ongoing rehabilitation of existing railways in the country, and extend the railway system to other parts of the country. 4.2.6 Supporting Cooperative Societies for Employment Creation in Nigeria Cooperatives promote and enable sustainable self-employment in the country and they have the potential to provide organizational means for poverty reduction for its members in rural and urban communities. Above all, cooperatives provide opportunity for the mobilization of social capital, social integration and social protection at the grass root level. Cooperative societies in Nigeria need a number of support services to enhance their employment potential: Objective 1: Enhancing job creation potential of cooperative societies in Nigeria 1.1 Government all levels shall support cooperatives to access by preferential conditions with little or no collateral requirements by lending institutions. 1.2 Government shall ensure that appropriate agencies provide technical support services such as management training for registered and organized cooperative societies in rural and urban NEP 2017 34 National Employment Policy | 2017 communities. This will include education and awareness creation among cooperatives on how to access available funds. 4.3 Sectoral Value-Chains and Employment Generation in Nigeria 4.3.1 AGRICULTURE 4.3.1.1 Transformation of Agriculture Objective 1: To continue the transformation of agricultural production into a diversified venture through commercialization. The Transformation of the agricultural sector which focuses on improving value chains in the agro-processing sector, is pivotal in job creation in the Nigerian economy. The transformation is expected to provide mass decent jobs for rural youth. To accomplish this objective, efforts shall be made to: 1.1 Refocus agricultural production from subsistence ventures into organized commercial activities aimed at increased production of crops and livestock and employment generation. 1.2 Bring additional hectares of land under cultivation in addition to the present 30 million cultivated out of the available 61 million hectare across the country. 1.3 Implement agro-processing programmes aimed at producing value-added commodities under various food and cash crops across the country. 1.4 Revitalization of Staple Crops Processing Zone, Agribusiness Incubation Centres and Agro Industrial Parks. 1.5 Enhancing access to market information by facilitating the establishment of National Agricultural Information System that provides easy access to information on market, regulations, prices, etc. 1.6 Ensure quality control and standardization of crops, livestock and fisheries to meet standards of the international market. 1.7 Facilitate Public Private Partnership to rapidly expand storage and related logistics support infrastructure. 1.8 Promoting private sector led mechanization services as well as cooperative solutions for private sector led tractor hiring. 1.9 Implement the planned project of 50 hectares of various tree crops in all the 774 local government areas in the country, which is expected to create 31,200 employment opportunities per year. 1.10 Strengthen the partnership with research institutes such as NIFOR and IITA in the provision and distribution of improved varieties of crops seeds. 1.11 Continue and improve on the mechanisms for the provision and distribution of improved seeds, irrigation facilities, farm tractors and fertilizers to smallholder farmers across the country. NEP 2017 35 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.12 Continue and improve on the practice of reaching farmers directly in the distribution of farm inputs, especially fertilizers by removing the middlemen in the distribution system. 1.13 Invest through public private partnership ventures in agro-value chain processes for eight (8) major farming clusters in the country, namely: Rice Farmers Cluster, Cassava Farmers Cluster, Tomatoes Farmers Cluster, Poultry Farmers Cluster, Oil-palm Farmers Cluster, Sorghum Farmers Cluster, Fish Farmers Cluster, and Soybean Farmers Cluster. These clusters will foster the creation of industrial processing factories for products within each value chain in strategic parts of each state across the country. 1.14 Agricultural value chain activities will require the involvement of national research institutions and universities. Research outcomes domiciled in these institutions will be transferred to farmers and agro-entrepreneurs through planned demonstrations, trials and capacity building. 1.15 Experts in the agricultural sector shall periodically (every 2 years) review the agricultural value-chain in line with global best practices. 4.3.1.2 Inclusive Agro-based Entrepreneurship Objective 1: Engage Youth and Women in the various employment generating agro-based entrepreneurships. 1.1 The Federal Ministry of Agriculture shall provide youth with orientation and entrepreneurial training in agro-based business skills covering three basic areas of agro- business, namely: agricultural input sub-sector, the production sub-sector, and the processing/manufacturing sub-sector. 1.2 Youth training in agro-business ventures shall focus on such skills as business accounting, effective sales and marketing strategies, and the creation of bankable agro-businesses. 1.3 Youth and women trained in agro-business shall be organized into groups for easy access and continuous training, monitoring and evaluation. 1.4 Youth and women trained on a particular agribusiness ventures shall be linked with credit institutions to access start-up capital to be invested strictly on that business. 1.5 Trained groups shall be provided with seed funds and other facilities in their chosen agro- business ventures with extension personnel to monitor their progress. 1.6 Existing initiatives for the engagement of Nigerian youth in agribusiness established in the past couple of years shall be expanded. Among these programs, which are private sector driven but government enabled are: i. The Private Sector Driven Agricultural Mechanization Programme ii. Staple Crops Processing Zones iii. One Stop Agro-Centre iv. Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP). v. Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme. vi. Nigeria Incentive Based Risk sharing System for Agricultural Lending NEP 2017 36 National Employment Policy | 2017 vii. Commercial Agriculture Development Project viii. National Programme for Food Security ix. Private sector Driven Commodity Marketing Corporation. 4.3.1.3 Access to Markets and Storage Facilities Objective 1: Provide model and competitive markets for agricultural products and storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses. 1.1 Government shall support the production of food products such as Fish, Wheat, Rice, Sugar, and Tomato among several others to compete favourably with imported substitutes. 1.2 State governments shall provide extension services to commodity producers and cooperative groups in all the local government areas in the State. 1.3 Federal and State Governments shall reduce post-harvest losses of crops through collaborative partnerships with the private sector by constructing storage facilities such as silos and warehouses at strategic centers across each state in the country. 1.4 Effort shall be made to provide access to model domestic and foreign markets for agro- based products in Nigeria through the establishment of market linkage programs for farmers and their products. 4.3.2 MINING AND SOLID MINERALS EXTRACTION SECTOR (NON-OIL) 4.3.2.1 Capacity Building for Mining and Mineral Processing Objective 1: To transform the solid minerals and mining sector into a sustainable employment generating activity through its various value chains. 1.1 The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals shall facilitate the mining and processing of the 33 commercially viable solid minerals such as Gold, Coal, Bitumen, Iron-ore, Tantalite / Columbite, Lead/Zinc Sulphides, Barytes, Cassiterite, Gemstones, Talc, Feldspar and marble, which are available in commercial quantities in various parts of Nigeria. 1.2 It shall provide accurate geographical information to licensed private sector operators. 1.3 The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals shall recognize the small-scale and artisan miners with support and regulation aimed at empowering and incorporating them into the value chain of mineral production and marketing. 1.4 The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals shall focus on and prioritize the development of Seven Strategic Minerals (7SM), Coal, Bitumen, Limestone, Iron Ore, Barytes, Gold and Lead/Zinc, as pronounced in the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. 1.5 It shall promote value addition by encouraging investment in mineral-based and mineral processing industries and benefaction plants in the vicinity of mineral reserves. 4.3.2.2 Availability of Credit Facilities NEP 2017 37 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 1: To provide startup capital and credit facilities to private sector operators in the solid minerals sector. 1.1 As a high capital-intensive area that requires long-term investments, the federal government shall increase the portfolio of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) to enable it meet the demand for investment capital by private operators in the sector. 1.2 The Federal Government shall ensure infrastructural development for the mining industry especially, the establishment of internationally certified laboratories and setting up of internationally recognized and endorsed mining calendar for Nigeria. 1.3 Put in place new incentives and implement existing ones that can stimulate private sector investments in the solid minerals in Nigeria. Among these incentives are: tax breaks/holidays; tax relief for research and development of the sector; tax credit for local value-added, investment in economically disadvantaged areas; and the extension of infrastructure such as roads and electricity to mining sites. 4.3.3 MANUFACTURING SECTOR 4.3.3.1 Revitalizing the Manufacturing Industry in Nigeria Objective 1: To enable job creation through the value-chain activities in the textile sector 1.1 Government shall provide incentives to support industrial hubs. 1.2 Government shall review regulatory incentives to support the development of industrial parks and clusters 1.3 Government shall enhance access to the N250 billion CBN MSME fund by reviewing its design to encourage on-lending. 1.4 Government shall promote the made in Nigeria campaign 1.5 Government shall promote local content by compelling local sourcing of raw materials and leveraging public procurement of locally manufactured goods. 1.6 State Governments shall revitalize abandoned state-owned textile mills across the country. This will enable the industry to be more competitive and create more employment opportunities. 1.7 The Federal of Ministry of Finance, the CBN, NEXIM and the Bank of Industries shall find innovative ways of providing textile manufacturers with low interest loans to restart and maintain the operation of textile mills across the country. 1.8 The government shall create the market space for textile products in Nigeria by promoting made in Nigeria fabrics. NEP 2017 38 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.3.4 ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR AND CREATIVE ARTS INDUSTRY 4.3.4.1 Transformation of the Creative Industry: Objective 1: To exploit the full potential of the increasing visibility of the Nigerian film industry popularly known as Nollywood across the world. 1.1 The Federal and State governments shall encourage private capital investment in the sector to increase production and create more jobs. 1.2 The CBN shall establish a credit facility primarily for small and medium entrepreneurs in the creative industry. 1.3 The ongoing collaborative initiative among the Nigerian Copyright Commission, National Film and Video Censors Board, Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the World Bank to help distributors and producers tackle piracy shall be monitored and intensified. 1.4 The Nigerian Copyright Commission shall be strengthened to enforce anti-piracy laws. 4.3.5 TOURISM INDUSTRIES 4.3.5.1 Exploiting Economic Potential of Tourism: Objective 1: Making Travel and Tourism a major employment-generating sector of the Nigerian economy, and Nigeria a key tourist destination in Africa. 1.1 Government shall implement the Tourism Master Plan (TMP) to provide adequate governance and enable the country to exploit the potential of the sector for inclusive economic growth and employment generation. 1.2 Government shall make key investments vital for the development of the sector. This includes the improvement in national security, provision of uninterrupted electric power supply, Internet connectivity, transportation, portable water, fire-fighting equipment etc. 1.3 The NTDC shall set up and maintain a “one-stop” shop for information about tourism in Nigeria. It shall also market the country’s tourism products and services such as the national parks, wild life species, accommodation establishments (i.e., hotels, motels, guest houses, guest inn, etc.), food services, and its rich cultural heritage to the outside world. 1.4 The involvement of international private tour operators shall be encouraged to invest in the key aspects of the tourism industry in Nigeria as tour operators, ground handlers etc. 1.5 Government shall ease tourist visa requirements to increase tourist arrivals. 1.6 Government shall raise awareness on tourist facilities to increase tourism 4.4 Environmentally Friendly (Green) Jobs 4.4.1 Environmental Protection and Job Creation Different communities across Nigeria are facing the threat of climate change, unsustainable NEP 2017 39 National Employment Policy | 2017 urbanization, deforestation, desert encroachment, loss of bio-diversity, urban air pollution, soil erosion and oil spill. Addressing these environmental challenges in the country will provide opportunities for job creation. These green jobs are relevant for informal workers, comprising mostly of women and youth, by providing them with a pathway towards decent work. Green jobs in the renewable energy sector include importation and distribution of equipment, construction, solar panel installers and solar cell technicians for the maintenance of renewable energy power systems. Other potential green jobs are: urban waste recyclers and afforestation program to combat desert encroachment. Objective 1: To increase environmentally friendly activities, which generate employment opportunities in different sectors and enable inclusive economic growth. 1.1 Green jobs shall be used to expand renewable energy sector. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass can produce more decent works in Nigeria if properly harnessed. 1.2 Communities in Nigeria shall be encouraged to build their own mini grids based on renewable energy sources. This will not only create decent and green jobs, rather stable electric supply will save lives in different ways, and open different aspects of green economy through the multiplier effect. 1.3 Government will promote investment in renewable energy which will provide solar- powered irrigation pumps for sustainable agriculture, and solar-powered borehole for constant water supply for rural communities in the country. 1.4 Government shall develop financial instruments that specifically target renewable energy technologies and stimulate market to attract investments in the sector. 1.5 Existing employment agency such as the NDE and the Industrial Training Funds (ITF) shall collaborate with other stakeholders to equip unemployed youths with skills in the renewable energy sub-sector. 4.4.2 The Private Sector and the Green Jobs Objective 1: Encourage the involvement of the private sector with the creation of Green Jobs 1.1 With monitoring and evaluation strategies, the government shall sustain and scale up the various renewable energy projects initiated by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with groups in the private sector. Objectives 2: To provide sufficient funding for entrepreneurs in the Green Economy through initial capital investment of the Federal and State governments. 2.1 To accomplish the goal of creating Green Jobs, the Federal and State government shall create the enabling conditions by providing subsidies and incentives to attract entrepreneurs to the NEP 2017 40 National Employment Policy | 2017 sector. In addition, the government should also: i) Provide through Bank of Industries low or zero interest loans to small solar energy companies in the private sector operating in remote villages and communities ii) Provide custom waivers for importation of renewable energy equipment iii) Regulate the renewable energy sector and Green jobs to prevent sub-standard services and ensure the use of quality equipment. 2.2 The government shall promote green job policies; build employment potential and skills in a greener economy. 4.5 Labour-Based Public Works Projects 4.5.1 Public Works Labour intensive public works programs can serve as a major policy instrument for addressing unemployment, in the short term, thus minimizing serious income and consumption shortfalls, and stimulating economic growth. As the ILO has argued (2011) promoting labour intensive road construction will generate twice the number of jobs compared to capital- intensive road construction and irrigation. Objective 1: To use investment in public infrastructure construction and maintenance to achieve employment goals and socio-economic wellbeing of youth and women in Nigeria. 1.1 State Ministries of Works shall design infrastructure projects to provide technical training opportunities for young people. 1.2 The Federal government shall through the NDE widen the understanding of , and acceptance of labour based technology by stakeholders. 1.3 Government with technical assistance from the ILO shall increase through training, the institutional capacity of State implementing agencies to plan, manage and implement labour based projects which incorporates good labour policies and practices. 1.4 Government shall train private sector contractors and consultants to be able to deliver quality infrastructure using labour-based methods. 4.5.2 Employment Impact Assessment of Public Expenditures: Objective 1: To use public investment programmes as instruments to generate employment, reduce inequalities and provide income support for Nigerians. 1.1 The Government shall continuously monitor and assess the employment potential of government investment, procurements and expenditure in general. 1.2 Governments shall take into account negative and positive effects of all forms of government expenditures on employment in all sectors of the economy. 1.3 Government MDAs shall engage and monitor private contractors to implement labour intensive public works in areas like maintenance of roads and public buildings, waste management, erosion control and road rehabilitation. This will build the national capacity for enhancing the employment outcomes investment strategies. NEP 2017 41 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.4 The FML&E shall establish a Desk on Employment Impact Assessment (EIA) of government investment and continuously build capacities of desk officers on the discharge of their responsibilities. 4.6 Infrastructural Development Increase in private investment and the resultant creation of more jobs in Nigeria will require appreciable investment in infrastructural development. Physical infrastructures in Nigeria such as transportation (road network, rail, airports and seaports), electric power supply, ICT and telecommunication, and housing are poor. 4.6.1 Boosting Economic Growth through Infrastructural Development/Maintenance Objective 1: To invest in the development and maintenance of physical infrastructure in Nigeria. 1.1 The Federal Government is committed to the implementation of the approved National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP). 1.2 Government shall prioritize projects and programmes for implementation within the NIIMP framework in the medium to long-term. 1.3 The National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) shall assist Agencies of government such as NDE ITF, SMEDAN and IDCs to set up Skills Centres based on dominant skills demand in each geo-political zone, taking into consideration comparative/competitive advantage. 1.4 Government shall construct 2,700 housing units in the short-term to create substantial direct and indirect jobs and to increase to 10,000 housing units by 2020 1.5 Government shall construct strategic rail projects to connect major economic centres across the country to increase job creation 1.6 The Federal Government shall encourage and promote equip and expand existing industrial skills centres and Capacity Building Agencies of government such as ITF, SMEDAN, NDE and IDC. 1.7 To close current infrastructure gap and reach desired optimal investment, and in line with the recommendations of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Nigeria shall increase core infrastructure stock from the current 35-40 percent of GDP to 70 percent by 2043. 1.8 With the implementation of local content policy, significant investment in infrastructural development would translate into substantial increase in demand for domestic goods and services supplied by domestic business community. NEP 2017 42 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.9 Construction and rehabilitation of more rural-urban feeder roads for the ease of transportation of farm produce to the cities and towns and also boost productivity in the rural areas. This will reduce and discourage rural-urban migration for job opportunities in the cities and towns. 4.7 Job Creation for Youth, Women and Disabled Persons 4.7.1 Employment for Nigerian Youth Objective 1: Additional and sustained direct government interventions for employment generation for youth, especially in the agricultural sector to enable them to earn decent livelihoods. 1.1 Government shall use the N-Power Volunteer Corps to provide temporary employment for 500,000 graduates annually in education, agriculture, health and tax education. 1.2 Government at all levels shall ensure that youth-focused agricultural programmes are central to actualizing diversification of the economy. 1.3 The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall fully implement the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) along area-based priority agricultural value chains. 1.4 The N-Agro component of the N-Power programme shall be expanded to provide more agricultural extension officers. 1.5 Government shall ensure that such programme as Youth Agricultural Re-Orientation Program designed to re-orient the minds of the youths towards seeing and practicing agriculture as a business is actualized. 1.6 Government shall encourage crop specialization at the State level based on competitive advantage of each State by providing targeted funding through the BoA. 1.7 The implementation of programmes such as the Youth Collaborative Community Agriculture program designed to practically engage unemployed youths and women in sustainable Agribusiness through production, processing and marketing of Agriculture produce via individual and cooperative platform shall be vigorously pursued. 1.8 These employment generation programmes in agriculture shall be funded through the development of flexible credit facility for the youth and women by the Bank of Agriculture in Nigeria, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. 1.9 The FMoE, FML&E, FMY&S and NUC shall ensure expansion of entrepreneurship education and training in the university curriculum as part of the requirements for graduation. 1.10 The NDE and SMEDAN shall expand entrepreneurship training across the country 1.11 The NUC shall develop and expand business entrepreneurship development centers in Nigerian universities. 1.12 The NDE, SMEDAN and relevant State Government Agencies shall establish Entrepreneurship Development Clinics (EDC) for the training of unemployed and non- university youth in major urban centers in Nigeria. NEP 2017 43 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.13 Through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Government shall strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage them to expand access to banking, credit facilities, insurance and other financial services to youth entrepreneurs. Objective 2: To provide demand driven skill acquisition to the unemployed 2.1 Execute the N-Power knowledge programme to train participants in animation, hardware, software and device repair and assembly. 2.2 Strengthen N-Power Build Programme to train a competent workforce of technicians and artisans. 2.3 Develop National Manpower Policy to match job skills requirements and education programmes. 2.4 Develop National Skills Development Policy to guide and streamline skills development. 2.5 Establish Skill Acquisition centres in all the States and the FCT 4.7.2 Sports and Employment Generation As a major economic driver, sporting activities have the potential of creating employment opportunities in the Nigerian economy. Employment opportunities in the sport sector include construction of facilities, manufacturing and distribution of sports goods, clothing, food, health care services, and information and communication. Other areas include the supervision of sporting activities, the operation of sporting facilities, sports medicine and physiotherapy. Objective 1: To develop sporting activities and create employment opportunities in the sports sector in Nigeria 1.1 Government at all levels shall create sports-related jobs for youth, women and self-employed workers in the following areas: i. Athletes, coaches and professional managers of sports or sports-related organizations; ii. Sports doctors; iii. Physical education and sports teachers in the school environment; iv. Sports journalists and other specialists in communication through or on sport; v. Physiotherapists specialized in sport; vi. Agents or promoters of events or professional sportspersons; vii. Sellers of sports goods; viii. Caretakers of sports facilities and other reception staff; ix. Sports facilities maintenance workers. NEP 2017 44 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.2 Government shall create appropriate incentives to encourage corporate sponsorship of sporting activities in Nigeria. 4.7.3 Gender Equality in Employment Objective 1: To ensure greater participation of women in the workforce. 1.1 The Federal and State governments shall develop self-employment promotion programme for women especially in rural communities. 1.2 The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, State Ministries of Women Affairs and Local Government Councils shall establish mentorship programmes for female youth and gender specific career counseling in the 774 local government areas to enhance greater female participation in the workforce. 1.3 Enforcement of existing maternity protection policies shall be enforced through regular labour inspection. 1.4 Women’s’ Entrepreneurship Development and Empowerment agenda shall be promoted to enhance economic opportunities for women by carrying out affirmative actions in support of women starting, formalizing and growing their own businesses. 1.5 Government shall eliminate open or disguised discrimination against women workers in recruitment, remuneration, promotion and training. 1.6 The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development shall promote the implementation of the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of 1985 and 1991 respectively. 4.7.4 Employing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) People with disabilities in Nigeria are faced with numerous barriers and discrimination in the labour market, including negative attitudes among employers and co-workers, inaccessible work environments, lack of adequate vocational training opportunities and poor public support. Increasing the labour-market participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) is a fundamental goal of the Nigeria’s employment policy. The National Employment Policy aims to foster an inclusive and respectful workforce culture that promotes the hiring, retention and professional development of people with disabilities by private and public employers of labour on business and non-discriminatory principles. Objective 1: To ensure the full employability of Nigerians with disability; removing all forms of discrimination against PWDs; provide them access to inclusive educational and vocational training demanded by the labour market to enable them integrate into the country’s workforce. 1.1. Government shall promote the mobility of PWDs by removing architectural barriers in buildings and facilities constructed with government funding. NEP 2017 45 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.2 To promote employability of PWDs, government shall facilitate the passage of the Nigerians with Disability law. 1.3 Government shall establish vocational rehabilitation centers to develop and enhance the skills and potential of persons with disability. 1.4 Public and private employers of labour shall provide people with disabilities flexibility in the scheduling and other aspects of their work – giving them sufficient time to prepare for work, to travel to and from work, and to deal with health concerns. Objective 3: To use various channels to demonstrate the potential of PWDs, and promote adequate employment for them in the work force across the country. 3.1 Disability and Special Job Fairs shall be used to promote self-employment strategies and employment potential among PWDs in Nigeria. 3.2 Government shall improve the quality and availability of disability data and statistics in Nigeria, which is essential for the formulation of disability-sensitive development policies and programs across the country. Such a database will also create easy access for potential employers to ensure easy job placement for PWDs. 3.3 Tax of employees with disabilities shall be retained by the organization as an incentive to help in implementing their disability friendly policies and programmes. 4.7.5 Local Content Policy Objective 1: Full implementation of the local content policy in Nigeria. 1.1 All tiers of government in Nigeria shall implement the procurement policy that encourages giving first consideration to Nigerian made goods and services. 1.2 The local content policy shall be enforced to promote job creation in all major sectors of the economy and in the procurement process. 4.7.6 Labour Market Information (LMI) and Employment Services Government recognises that appropriate, reliable, comprehensive employment statistics and other labour market information, regularly and timely produced, are essential for employment and other socio-economic development planning. Such information will enable human resources and employment planners to correct distortions and imbalances caused by structural labour market changes in the economy. This underscores the need for the availability of information, which provides accurate picture of the state of the labour market in Nigeria. Government is to improve collection, processing and analysis of statistics on the economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment and other labour market information on a regular and timely basis. It will encourage and facilitate the use of these statistics and other labour market information and related indicators for: NEP 2017 46 National Employment Policy | 2017 i. monitoring evaluating and revising, when necessary, this employment policy; ii. employment planning including employment programme formulation and implementation and evaluation; iii. overall economic and social development planning. Efforts shall be intensified to generate comprehensive, reliable, appropriate, timely and regular employment statistics and labour market information through the conduct of surveys and censuses of households, establishments and institutions. Priority is to be given to the collection, processing, analysis dissemination and utilisation of employment statistics and other labour market information from administration sources at the national, state and local government levels. Government is to ensure that employment statistics and other labour market information are collected, disseminated and disaggregated by gender, age and any other identified target groups; i. to reflect the full extent of the work of women and all their contributions to the national economy; and ii. to facilitate the design of focused programmes and activities consistent with identified needs of target groups and target areas. Efforts are to be made to encourage in-depth, timely analysis and interpretation of employment statistics and other labour market information by employment planners, policy-makers and researchers. Particular efforts will be made to intensify research into concepts, definitions, classification systems and methods for measuring and collecting employment statistics and other labour market information appropriate for Nigeria but consistent with international standards. Objective 1: To establish and maintain functional and timely information about job openings, sectoral changes, geographical imbalance and other labour and income trends. 1.1 The National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX), operated by the FMLE shall facilitate job exchange functions and shall be fully equipped to provide LMI to planners and job seekers. 1.2 The government shall ensure the collection and analysis of labour market information of the Nigerian economy on timely fashion. 1.3 The FML&E shall upgrade existing Employment Exchanges to Job Centres. NEP 2017 47 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.4 For efficient delivery of employment services, the Job Centers shall be provided with solar electricity. 1.5 The FML&E shall establish a Board of Social Partners and other stakeholders for the administration and coordination of NELEX 4.7.7 Community Employment Centres (CECs) and Job Creation Objective 1: To establish Community Employment Centres to provide full range of assistance to job seekers in rural and urban communities in Nigeria. 1.1 The Federal Government through the FMLE shall establish a minimum of two (2) Community Employment Centers in all the 744 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country. Employment Centres shall link potential employers of labour with job seekers in each LGA under one roof. 1.2 The CECs shall provide training, referrals, career counseling, job listings, and similar employment-related services for communities. 1.3 The CECs shall be staffed and equipped with the necessary infrastructure and ICTs to enable job seekers visit the center in person or connect to the centre’s information remotely through a computer or other communication devices. Members of the community can visit a center in person or connect to the center's information online or through kiosk remote access. 1.4 Employment centres shall have basic resources such as computers, printers, telephone and fax machines available that job seekers can use in their job search. 1.5 CECs shall have trained staff available to help people look for work, find training, and answer employment-related questions 1.6 While the CEC services may vary by location, each centre shall provide basic services such as: phones services, free internet and resume writing tools, employment plan development, job training services job search assistance, career counseling, practice interviewing skills among others. 1.7 CECs shall also link members of the community with supportive services such as information about education opportunities, skill training and acquisition, health care, banking and financial literacy. 1.8 CECs are non-fee paying institutions, hence all services of the CECs shall be provided free to all members of the community. 1.9 The CECs shall be funded directly by the Federal Government through local government authorities. NEP 2017 48 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.8 Labour Migration and Employment Policy 4.8.1 Governance of Labour Migration and Employment Creation In an era of increasing globalization, labour migration has emerged as a dominant feature of employment policy. This has given credence to issues concerning the welfare of migrant workers within Nigeria, and those between Nigeria and other countries, especially its neighboring countries in the West African sub-region. Issues of labour migration informed the National Policy on Labour Migration, 2014. Nigeria also ratified the ILO Migration for Employment Convention (1949, No. 97) in 1960, and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990), in 2009. Objective 1: To harness the benefits of labour migration for employment generation and economic growth, and protect the welfare of migrant workers in Nigeria. 1.1 The FMLE shall promote, monitor and enforce the provision of the National Policy on Labour Migration (2014), especially cardinal elements of the protocol on the protection of the social welfare of migrant workers in Nigeria, so as to:  Discourage the maltreatment of migrant workers in line with section 47 of the United Nations Declaration against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  Ensure non-discrimination and equality of treatment for all workers, migrants, and nationals abroad and at home;  Ensure that all employment of migrant workers is subject to labour standards and code of ethics;  Equip workers to make better-informed decisions on migration for employment;  Promote and protect the rights of labour migrants in recruitment for employment abroad through supervision and monitoring of recruitment activities;  Promote consular and diplomatic services to protect migrants and oversee their welfare;  Strengthen policies and programmes for welfare of migrants, return migrants and families left behind; 1.2 The Federal Government shall promote employment and development benefits of migration by creating a conducive environment for attracting migrant remittances, diaspora investments and technology transfers. 1.3. The Federal government shall recognize the gender dimension of migration policies, which was one of the six principles adopted at the ECOWAS Common Approach on Migration in 2008. 1.4 The Federal Government shall promote equal employment systems in both urban and rural areas in Nigeria to ensure balanced migration patterns. NEP 2017 49 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.5 The Federal Government shall promote policies that will attract migrant expertise for domestic development, especially within the West African sub-region. 1.6 The Federal government shall negotiate bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with major migrant origin and destination countries. 1.7 The government shall check the activities of irregular migration and human trafficking by providing qualified Nigerian job seekers with the information they need to travel to and work legitimately in other countries. 1.8 The Labour Migration Unit at the FML&E shall be equipped to carry out its full responsibility of addressing the movement of skilled and unskilled persons within and outside Nigeria. The Unit shall build capacity of Foreign Service officers, immigration officers, police and other law enforcement officers to deal with and manage the movement of persons across Nigerian borders and irregular migration issues. 4.8.2 Regional Migration Governance Objective 1: To strengthen governance of labour migration within the ECOWAS sub-region. This policy goal can be accomplished through the following local interventions: 1.1 Nigeria shall adopt free circulation regimes and coherent labour migration policies, especially within the ECOWAS sub-region. 1.2 The Federal government shall build and strengthen the capacities of labour institutions and social partners in Nigeria on labour and migration governance. 4.8.3 Migration and Decent Work Creation Objective 1: To enhance regional integration and inclusive development through the creation of decent work. 1.1 The federal government shall promote the collection of gender and age disaggregated data on migrants’ economic activity, employment, skills, education, working conditions, and social protection situations. 1.2 The Federal Government shall strive to extend social security to migrants and internally displaced persons (IDP) through access and portability regimes compatible with international standards and good practice. 1.3 The FMLE shall support the adoption and implementation of harmonized policies to foster mobility of skills and better alignment of skills with labour market needs in West Africa. This will include the recognition of education and training qualifications of international migrants. NEP 2017 50 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.4 The FMLE shall promote decent work and fair labour practices for migrants with effective application of labour standards to migrant workers. 4.9 Macroeconomic Policy and Job Creation The magnitude of the employment and policy challenge facing Nigeria requires a vigorous and determined national response if the employment problem is to be tackled with more seriousness and success . The macroeconomic management of the past decade has produced jobless growth. It is, therefore, imperative that the economic growth process be made more employment intensive, and that all economic players – the government (at Federal, State and Local levels), the private sector, workers, private individuals and NGOs, pursue more determined policies and programmes to attain this objective. An appropriate macro-economic framework to generate steady and more rapid growth in all sectors of the economy shall be accorded greater priority and emphasis. The government will pursue prudent and flexible fiscal and monetary policies in order to keep the budget deficit in check and ensure macro-economic stability, low inflation and reasonable interest rates. The role of the government is to use monetary and fiscal policies to create the enabling environment, which will enhance the inflow of private capital for private enterprises and wage job creation. 4.9.1 Monetary Policy Environment Objective 1: To pursue a monetary policy regime that stimulates inclusive economic growth and increase the labour absorption capacity of the Nigerian economy. 1.1 The CBN shall place job creation at the centre of all its monetary policies. 1.2 Monetary policy shall be aligned with the other aspects of the Federal Government macroeconomic programme. 1.3 The CBN shall deploy liquidity management tools to reduce inflationary pressure and stimulate all-inclusive economic growth. 1.4 The CBN shall strengthen intervention in critical sectors that can promote economic growth and reduce unemployment as well as sustain a market determined exchange rate 4.9.2 Fiscal Policy Environment Objective 1: To use budget and tax policies as tools to stimulate sectoral growth and create jobs with a reasonable degree of price stability. 1.1 The government shall sustain investment in rebuilding critical physical infrastructures, especially electric power supply, road, airport, and telecommunication. This will facilitate business start-up and expansion through reduction in cost of doing business. 1.2 The government shall also sustain investment in social goods and services such as basic education, means-tested cash transfer, child benefits, and primary healthcare services to the poor. NEP 2017 51 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.3 The government shall increase capital investment in the power sector by investing in alternative sources of energy through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to power independent power plants across the country. 1.4 The government shall equally review tax regimes for private sector entrepreneurs to enable them employ more labour. 4.10 Decent Work Components Decent work encompasses decent employment, social protection, safety and health issues and social justice. Precarious or indecent work has a deep impact on individuals and on societies. Recently, high rate of unemployment has led to wide spread anxiety and tolerance of pitiful work conditions among Nigerian workers. Increasing rates of joblessness and precarious work arrangements deteriorate the quality of working and living conditions in the country. 4.10.1 Rights at Work Objective 1: To promote the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers at work. 1.1 The government shall continuously reinforce the fact that rights at work form part of the broader agenda of human rights. 1.2 The government shall uphold certain rights that are fundamental to the wellbeing of Nigerian workers in line with the Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted by the International Labour Conference in 1998. 1.3 The government shall enforce the right of Nigerian workers to form and join unions. 1.4 The FMLE shall continue to educate the Nigerian workers on their rights and obligations 1.5 Measures shall also be put in place to avoid monetary exploitation of union members by their executives, and curtail misappropriation of union funds. 4.10.2 Employment and Safe Work Environment Adequate monitoring should also be put in place to ensure that safety rules and standards are implemented in work environment, especially where employees are prone to accidents and bodily harm. Objective 1: To ensure that Nigerians work in conditions of dignity and safety and with decent wage. 1.1 Nigerian workers shall be protected against accidents, unhealthy and dangerous working condition. NEP 2017 52 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.2 The government through the FMLP shall ensure full and continuous implementation of the HIV and AIDS workplace interventions and guidelines in private and public sectors, and in formal and informal sectors across Nigeria. The country shall adopt and implement the following principles and strategies of the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS.  The response to HIV and AIDS shall be recognized as contributing to the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including workers, their families and their dependants;  HIV and AIDS should be recognized and treated as a workplace issue, which shall be included among the essential elements of the national, regional and international response to the pandemic with full participation of employers’ and workers’ organizations;  There shall be no discrimination against or stigmatization of workers, in particular jobseekers and job applicants, on the grounds of real or perceived HIV status or the fact that they belong to segments of the population perceived to be at greater risk of or more vulnerable to HIV infection;  Workers, their families and their dependants should have access to and benefit from prevention, treatment, care and support in relation to HIV and AIDS, and the workplace should play a role in facilitating access to these services;  Workers’ participation and engagement in the design, implementation and evaluation of national and workplace programmes shall be recognized and reinforced;  Workers shall benefit from programmes to prevent specific risks of occupational transmission of HIV and related transmissible diseases, such as tuberculosis;  Workers, their families and their dependents shall enjoy protection of their privacy, including confidentiality related to HIV and AIDS, in particular with regard to their own HIV status;  No workers shall be required to undertake an HIV test or disclose their HIV status;  Measures to address HIV and AIDS in the world of work shall be part of national development policies and programmes, including those related to labour, education, social protection and health;  The protection of workers in occupations that are particularly exposed to the risk of HIV transmission.  Employers in the public and private sectors shall have a budget line for care and support for workers living with HIV/AIDS 4.10.3 Social Dialogue Objective 1: To ensure that Nigerian workers participate through social dialogue in decision-making affecting their rights at work. 1.1 Nigerian workers shall be enabled to defend their interests and articulate their concerns and priorities through social dialogue. NEP 2017 53 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.2 Collective bargaining for Nigerian workers shall be part of the production process aimed at protecting the interest of workers, improving productivity of the workers and optimizing output. 1.3 These dialogues shall be based on the principles of fair representation, accountability and autonomy. 1.4 This will be based on a provision for tripartite dialogue, where the government can participate both as an independent and unbiased judge, and also as an employer of labour in some cases. 1.5 Tripartite and broader forms of social dialogue involving the Nigerian governments, enterprises, workers and civil society agencies shall be encouraged to promote decent work through their impact on macro-economic and other key social and economic policies. 4.10.4 Social Protection of Nigerians The increase in economic growth experienced in Nigeria over the past decade has been accompanied by high rate of inequality and vulnerability. Most Nigerians are vulnerable to ill health, maternity needs, accidents, unemployment, destitution, extreme economic fluctuations, natural disasters and civil conflicts. The coverage of social protection shall extend beyond the workers and even their family members to embrace vulnerable and insecure persons outside paid employment and indeed the labour force. The aims of social protection policies are to: i. Support individuals and families in dealing with vulnerabilities throughout their lifecycle; ii. Help especially the poor and vulnerable groups to become more resilient against crises and economic shocks; iii. Favour social inclusion and support families, particularly the most vulnerable to poverty, in building up their human and social capital through income and consumption smoothing and ensuring their access to basic goods and services; and iv. Stimulate productive inclusion through the development of capabilities, skills, rights and opportunities for the poor, marginalized and excluded groups. Objective 1: To provide security for Nigerians against a variety of contingencies and vulnerabilities. 1.1 Government shall develop social protection policy to provide clear institutional roles and responsibilities 1.2 Government shall facilitate dialogue and exchange of knowledge on the different types of social protection interventions suitable in Nigeria. 4.10.5 Ensuring Social Protection Floor NEP 2017 54 National Employment Policy | 2017 Nigeria does not have an articulated and comprehensive national social protection system. The implication is that the country does not have appropriate institutional mechanisms to provide support to the poor and vulnerable. Where such a system exists, it represents a weak appendage of a pilot project on cash transfer programmes, hence, it is very skeletal. An example is the existing Pension System, which provides a degree of social protection, but does not capture the majority of the workforce including the self-employed in the informal sector. In Nigeria, the agencies rendering social protection services include the National Pension Commission (PenCom), which is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring effective management of pensions; the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which renders health- related services and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) which administers the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS). These programs on social protection have limited coverage and are based on the contributions of members. In essence, most people in the country’s workforce are unprotected by any form of social security system. There are wide social protection gaps in Nigeria. Among these are students’ protection, aged, maternity, family support and unemployment benefits. Objective 1: To provide social protection floor in the form of basic income security, aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in Nigeria. 1.1 Government shall empower the NSITF to expand its services in social protection to include short-term mandatory social insurance and long-term social insurance systems. 1.2 Government shall strengthen governance features of social protection programmes within institutions as well as sensitizing programme participants to hold implementers accountable 4.10.6 Long-Term and Short-Term Contributory Social Protection Programmes Objective 1: To expand contributory Social Protection Programmes in Nigeria. 1.1 Appropriate legislation shall be amended to mandate employers to deploy workers who sustain severe injury in the course of employment to another duty instead of lay off when they are unable to perform their initial job description on account of disability. 1.2 In case of illnesses, the worker shall receive a given percentage of their current salary, and in the case of accidents leading to temporal disability less than 26 weeks out from work. The level of compensations under these circumstances will be defined by national legislation. 1.3 The Long-Term social insurance in Nigeria shall cover disability, old age and death. This applies to cases where risks are permanent and last for more than 26 weeks. 4.10.7 Non-contributory Social Protection Programmes Objective 1: To expand Non-Contributory Social Protection Programmes in Nigeria. NEP 2017 55 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.1 Government shall support the NSITF to extend the Employee Compensation scheme to the informal sector 1.2 Government shall sustain the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme to reach 1 million of the poorest and most vulnerable households as captured in the Social Register. 1.3 Government shall strengthen the school Feeding programme to provide a meal a day to at least 6 million primary school children 1.3 The various programs across the country on social protection such as the maternal and child health; conditional cash transfer programs in several states; and various community-driven development programs, shall be scaled up. The scope and coverage of the above social protection framework shall be expanded and fully implemented in the 774 local government administration in Nigeria. 1.4 To ensure that the above systems works for the benefit of all Nigerians, efforts shall be made to create a functional database of Nigerian workforce population. Without such a database the administration of an effective social protection policy will be impossible. 4.11 Recruitment into Employment Government is committed to well-coordinated, fair and efficient recruitment processes by all employers devoid of manipulation, discrimination and other malpractices. Objective 1: To promote equality of opportunity and treatment in access to employment 1.1 Job advertisement shall reflect the job description and the selection criteria shall principally be related to qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience. 1.2 Job advertisements shall not state any requirement related to sex, age, ethnicity, religion or other personal attributes except where such attribute are inherent requirements for the job. 1.3 All cost associated with recruitment must be borne by the employer and such cost shall not be passed directly or indirectly, wholly or in part to job seekers. 1.4 Job seekers shall not be required to deposit any sum of money into any bank account or buy scratch card to enable them access web portal for the purpose of downloading application forms or submitting same. 1.5 All Departments and Agencies shall notify vacancies to the FML&E before such vacancies are filled. The notice shall state the number of available vacancies, the skills and experience required for each vacant post, the means of recruitment {directly or through a Private Employment Agency (PEA)} and the time line for the recruitment exercise. This information shall be compiled and integrated into the Labour Market Information Service. 1.6 Where a consultancy firm i.e. PEA is engaged by an employer for recruitment, such PEA shall be licenced by the FML&E. 1.7 The FML&E shall be represented at all recruitment exercises conducted by MDAs and shall monitor such recruitment to ensure compliance with fair recruitment practices and extant NEP 2017 56 National Employment Policy | 2017 laws and regulations. 1.8 All recruitment processes including publication of names of successful candidates shall be concluded within one month from the date of interview. 4.11.1 Regulating Private Employment Agencies Objective 1: To regulate the multiple levels at which recruitment of workers into employment is taking place and to enable government keep a close watch on the activities of Labour Contractors and Private Employment Agencies (PEAs) 1.1 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall enforce the guidelines/conditions regulating the activities of licensed private employment agencies in the country. This is to discourage fraudulent companies from engaging in job matching and labour contracting both domestically and internationally. 1.2 The FML&E shall ensure that workers recruited by PEAs are not denied right to freedom of association and right to collective bargaining. 1.3 The FML&E shall take the necessary measures to ensure adequate protection for the workers employed by private employment agencies in relation to:  (a) Minimum wages;  (b) Working time and other working conditions;  (c) Statutory social security benefits;  (d) Access to training;  (e) Occupational safety and health;  (f) Compensation in case of occupational accidents or diseases;  (h) Compensation in case of insolvency and protection of workers claims;  (i) Maternity protection and benefits. 1.4 Private Employment Agencies shall provide information relating to their operations to the FML&E on quarterly basis. 1.5 PEAs shall give written contract of employment specifying terms and conditions of employment to all recruited workers. These workers shall be informed of their conditions of employment before the effective beginning of their assignment. 1.6 PEAs shall inform migrant workers, as far as possible in their own language or in a language with which they are familiar, of the nature of the position offered and the applicable terms and conditions of employment. 4.11.2 Casualization of Labour in Nigeria NEP 2017 57 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 1: To control and regulate the increasing practice whereby employers fill job positions in their organizations that are supposed to be full-time /permanent with casual employees. 1.1 The FML&E shall protect Nigerian workers through the promotion, monitoring and effective enforcement of existing laws against the practice of labour casualization in Nigeria. 1.2 Through sectoral regulations, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment shall limit the proportion of workers that employers should hire as temporary, contract or sub-contract workers in various sectors. 4.11.3 Formalizing the Informal Sector for Wage Labour There are about 54.6 million workers engaged in the informal sector (Micro enterprises) businesses in Nigeria (NBS, 2010). Most rural and urban workers in Nigeria have informal jobs and most of them are women and youth. The informal economy thrives in Nigeria within the context of high unemployment, underemployment, poverty, gender inequality and precarious work conditions. This also speaks to the resourcefulness of Nigerians, most of who enter the informal economy not by choice, but out of a need to survive and to be engaged in income- generating activities. The 1998 (No. 189) recommendations of the ILO for Job Creation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises calls for the consideration of policies that include specific measures and incentives aimed at assisting and upgrading the informal economy to become part of the organized sector. Objective 1: To recognize the role of the informal sector in fostering growth and job creation in the Nigerian economy. 1.1 The Nigerian government shall promote the formation of cooperative associations within the informal economy to enable the transformation of marginal economic activities into legally protected work, and fully integrate them into mainstream economic life. 1.2 The Corporate Affairs Commission shall further simplify the process of business registration to encourage formalization. 1.3 Incidence of multiple taxation shall be removed where they exist to encourage formalization. 4.11.4 Regulating the Informal Economy Falling outside formal regulation partly accounts for the overlap between the informal economy and poverty among many Nigerian households. To counter this trend, the Nigerian government recognizes the heterogeneous set of workers and economic units involved in the informal sector, as well as the profitability of the informal economy in terms of employment creation. This will be done through the coordination of policies to support the formalization of the informal sector. NEP 2017 58 National Employment Policy | 2017 Objective 1: To bring the informal economy within the reach of Nigerian laws and regulatory framework, and make them less vulnerable to various risks and contingencies 1.1 The FML&E shall extend labour inspection to the informal economy. 1.2 Government shall strengthen the process of certification of skills acquired in the informal sector through the NVQF 1.3 Government shall extend social protection benefits such as health insurance, secured property rights, provision of basic business risk insurance schemes to informal workers contributors. 1.4 The CBN shall implement the Micro Finance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Nigeria (CBN, 2011), which aims to make financial services accessible to micro- entrepreneurs and low income households to enable them expand and modernize their operations through microfinance banks. 1.4 Pursuant to the objectives of the Micro Finance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Nigeria (CBN, 2011), the CBN shall ensure the promotion of synergy and mainstreaming of the informal Microfinance sub-sector into the formal financial system through microfinance banks. 1.5 Government at all levels shall implement sustainable strategies to formalize the informal sector by providing the necessary resources and infrastructure that promotes the development of small- scale businesses and cottage industry. 4.11.5 Elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria Child labour is a major social challenge in Nigeria. The National Policy on Child Labour estimates that out of the 15 million working children in Nigeria; over 6 million (6,102,406) of them can be categorized as being in child labour (FMLP, 2013). Children are engaged in various forms of hazardous labour in different sectors in urban and rural areas. Examples of hazardous child labour in the country include quarrying (i.e., digging, breaking, chiseling, heating, cracking, crushing, hammering and excavating), rice farming and milling, scavenging trash and recycling collection. Objective 1: To protect the interest of children from exploitation and inhumane treatment. The following measures shall be adopted to prevent and eliminate child labour in the country. 1.1 All levels of governments in Nigeria shall facilitate, monitor and enforce the provisions of the National Policy on Child Labour. 1.2 The FMLE shall strengthen field operations to effectively coordinate the National Program on the Elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria through a multi-sectoral approach. NEP 2017 59 National Employment Policy | 2017 1.3 The Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development shall ensure that children under exploitative and hazardous labour are identified and withdrawn from such situations. 1.4 The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency shall embark on a grass root awareness creation campaign on the rights of the child in all the 774 LGAs in the country. 1.5 The FMLE shall fully implement the “National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria” through various implementation strategies. 4.11.6 Workplace Safety and Health Promotion It is crucial for employers to be conscious of the human and economic cost of work-related fatalities, injuries and diseases and to place the health and safety of all workers high on the national agenda. Occupational safety and health inspection is one of the efforts to create a safe, healthy and efficient working environment, free of occupational accidents, disease, and pollution. Occupational accidents could cause not only casualties but also a loss for the workers and employers and disturbance in the overall production process and concomitant effect on job creation. These factors could damage the environment and affect the broader scope of a community. It is necessary to apply concrete efforts in order to optimally prevent and reduce the risks of occupational accident and disease in the workplace. Accidents due to explosion, fire and occupational disease are generally caused by ignorance of good and appropriate OSH compliance. Objective 1: To promote a safe workplace and minimize the rate of industrial accidents and other health risks in public and private sectors. Under the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) of 2010, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) provides compensation to employees who suffer occupational diseases and injuries. However, the best outcome is to have an injury-free workplace. Safe workplaces contribute to workers’ productivity and economic growth. To promote workplace safety and minimize industrial accidents, the FML&E in collaboration with the employers of labour in the private sector shall: 1.1 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall Conduct Periodic Audit of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) infrastructure and structure in private companies in the six (6) geo-political zones. 1.2 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall ensure compliance with existing rules, laws and standards on OSH, in order to determine the risk exposure of the NSITF. 1.3 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall ensure that the quality of health and safety accident prevention infrastructure in private companies is improved. 1.4 The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall promote awareness on OSH, based on best practice and contemporary developments through capacity building programmes in NEP 2017 60 National Employment Policy | 2017 private companies on an on-going basis as part of the strategies designed to reduce work place injuries. 1.5 Develop, implement and review guidelines for identification, emergency preparedness and response plan for the containment of major hazards and disasters. 1.6 Promote awareness creation and advocacy on OSH through campaign, seminars and IEC materials. 1.7 Promote a symbiotic relationship between NSITF and private employers of labour to the Employee Compensation Scheme through a yearly award systems to companies adjudged best as well as least OSH compliant. 4.12 Strengthen Labour Inspection Service Objective 1: To strengthen the re-enforcement and implementation capacities in the field of labour, improving compliance with labour legislation, and rendering labour inspection more responsive towards the promotion of social justice and Decent Work in Nigeria. The Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) has the statutory responsibility to provide an effective and efficient labour inspection services. The goal is to promote improved work environment, ensure the protection of the rights of workers and their employers and thus, contribute to the growth of sustainable enterprises and inclusive economic growth in Nigeria. Improvement in working conditions, occupational health and safety will continue to be achieved through efficient functioning labour and factory inspection services. Although labour/factory inspection system had been integrated to harmonise the inspection system for cost effectiveness and to improve efficiency and coverage, efforts are to be intensified to provide these inspectors with adequate logistic support and better technical training, backed by relevant legislation. Steps will be taken to enhance projects to voluntary compliance by employers and workers. To strengthen labour inspection activities in public and private workplaces in Nigeria, the following actions shall be taken: 1.1 The Government shall ensure adequate funding of labour Inspection to ensure work place safety. 1.2 The FML&E shall facilitate, empower and build the capacity of labour inspectors to visit and inspect all workplaces at least twice every year. 1.3 The Federal Government shall employ sufficient number of labour inspectors to ensure regular and sustained inspection of industrial, commercial and other related work places to maintain healthy work environment/conditions for the wellbeing of Nigerian workers. 1.4 The FML&E shall sensitize and collaborate with employers and trade unions to develop self- inspection audit and minimize work place conflict. 1.5 The FML&E shall continuously bring to the attention of government emerging trends in the world of work and seek speedy amendment of labour laws to address the trend. NEP 2017 61 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 5 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION 5.1 National Employment Council Due to the inclusive and multi-sectoral nature of employment policy, the implementation of the National Employment Policy (NEP) in Nigeria involves active participation and collaboration of multiple actors in all sectors of the economy. This includes all MDAs, the private sector, social partners and employers’ organizations. It shall take place simultaneously across multiple ministries, departments and agencies. Consequently, the National Employment Council shall be established to serve as an effective networking arrangement and national co-ordination machinery to guide, streamline and co- ordinate national efforts towards full employment. The establishment of the National Employment Council is predicated on the realization that no significant impact could be made on unemployment if job generation strategies are haphazardly implemented, with each MDA implementing its aspect without recourse to what other institutions were doing. The Council who’s Secretariat shall be located in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall be vested with the following responsibilities amongst others:  Examine employment situation in the country and make recommendations to government;  Provide guidance for the implementation of the strategies and programmes of action of the National Employment Policy;  Set broad policy guidelines to ensure that employment generation strategies conform to government priorities and programmes;  Conduct studies on the mandates of employment generation and poverty reduction agencies with a view to streamlining their functions and removing duplication of efforts. Recommendations from such studies shall be presented to government for approval.  Network, encourage and secure maximum cooperation of the social partners, donor agencies and other stakeholders including States and Local Governments in the implementation of the policy;  Map out sustainable and long term measures for funding of employment generation strategies in addition to the regular budgetary allocation and ensuring proper management of such funds; The Council shall be chaired by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment. Other members of the National Employment Council shall be as follows:  Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment  Federal Ministry of Finance  Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning  Federal Ministry of Youth Development  Federal Ministry of Agriculture  Federal Ministry of Education NEP 2017 62 National Employment Policy | 2017  Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing  Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.  Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment  Central Bank of Nigeria  National Bureau of Statistics  National Universities Commission  Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research  Industrial Training Fund  National Directorate of Employment  Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria  Special Assistant to the President/Vice President on Job Creation  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)  Trade Union Congress (TUC)  Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA)  Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM)  Human Capital Provider’s Association of Nigeria (HuCaPAN The Council shall have power to co-opt any person or institution it deems fit as member. As part of the implementation process, the NEP shall be funded as part of the recurrent national budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through annual budget allocations. The FMLE and other authorized Ministries may also collaborate with the local and international development partners and the private sector to finance different aspects of the policy with close monitoring. The FMLE with relevant stakeholders shall commence the implementation of the NEP with a national sensitization campaign in all the States of the Federation and the FCT. The aim of the campaign is to educate the public, especially public and private sector employers on the rationale, objectives and quantifiable deliverables of the employment policy. The campaign will also outline the innovative strategies for employment generation by private and government establishments, particularly at the local government levels. 5.2 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Mechanisms of NEP The National Employment Policy of Nigeria reflects the social and economic needs based on the employment situation in the country. Progress in the implementation of the NEP shall be tracked through an effective management and accountability framework that covers performance indicators and reporting schedules across all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The goal of the M&E framework is to monitor agreed performance targets of the NEP on a regular basis, measure the degree to which targets are being achieved, especially in the creation of decent jobs in the various sectors of the economy, measure the use of inputs and other progress activities, identify problem areas and define corrective measures. M&E arrangements of the NEP will also help job creation programmes and tracking, and if necessary, determine modifications needed if there are changes in the Nigerian labour market. NEP 2017 63 National Employment Policy | 2017 To ensure effective implementation and objective impact assessment process on the basis of approved performance indicators, the FMLE shall oversee and supervise NEP monitoring and evaluation arrangements. However, given that job creation is a cross-sectoral issue, each Government Agency will be responsible for carrying out its own M&E at the appropriate time using approved guidelines. The FMLE will have the power to periodically check on the M&E process in each Agency and advise on sector M&E reports. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the NEP in the real economy shall provide key inputs for periodic policy review. The design of M&E activities of the NEP shall include the following: i. Definition of key and measureable performance indicators and the specific period for the M&E exercise; ii. Identification of responsible persons, agencies and stakeholders; iii. Definition of the specific methods of reporting, channel of communication and feedback system appropriate for the realization of the fundamental goals of the NEP in Nigeria M&E shall be based on measurable quantitative and qualitative indicators as outlined in section 5.3 below. Such indicators shall focus on the quantity, quality and sustainability of jobs created in the economy over a given period. The M&E shall adopt a rigorous and resource-intensive approach, which combines: evaluation by external and independent institutions; multi-year assessment of the agreed indicators and outcomes; and quantitative and qualitative assessments. Sanctions for non-compliance with Nigerian labour laws and policies should be strengthened. The sanctions must be clearly stated, while the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must be adequately funded to carry out its legal duties in the enforcement of labour laws across the country. 5.3 Achievement Indicators and Outcomes of NEP The following are key indicators that should be used to measure the impact of the National Employment Policy in Nigeria.  The number of newly registered SMEs by Federal, State and Local Government Areas.  Increase in ease of business registration and streamlining of business regulations, rates and taxes  Appreciable reduction in the level of unemployment among graduates of higher institutions of learning, and technical colleges  Improved quality of technical and vocational education graduates  Increased supply of the required skill set in the labour market  Increase in wage employment in the private sector  Increase formalization of the informal sector  Reduction in youth unemployment across Nigeria  Increase employment and participation of women in the labour force  Increase wage employment and accommodation of qualified persons with disabilities in public and private sectors  Increase in the creation of green and environmentally friendly jobs  Establishment and maintenance of a reliable labour market information system NEP 2017 64 National Employment Policy | 2017  Availability of an effective (contributory and non-contributory) social protection scheme for workers  Safe work environment for workers  Regulation and reduction of casualization of labour  Availability and stable electric power supply  Increased funding for the field operations and other activities of the FMLE essential for the coordination and effective implementation of the employment policy.  Financial access and inclusion for MSME with single digit lending rates  Harmonization of various taxes and end to multiple taxation across states 5.4 Review of NEP To ensure compliance with the set goals, the NEP shall be reviewed in two distinct stages. The first stage of review shall address minor issues that may arise during implementation of the policy, especially during its first year of operation. Different MDAs and stakeholders will provide inputs for the review of the NEP. This process may result in some amendments or clarifications in the policy document or related procedures. The second stage of the National Employment Policy review shall take place every five years. The purpose of the second stage of review is to conduct a detailed examination whether the policy has achieved its objectives, identify areas of challenge and recommend areas for revision and enhancement. This stage of the review shall reflect changes in the labour market as well as progress made in achieving stated objectives of the policy. 5.5 Funding the National Employment Policy The NEP shall be implemented under the recurrent budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through annual budget allocations. The Federal Government shall also collaborate with Development Partners and the Private Sector to implement sections of the policy through the use of private and donor funds. NEP 2017 65 National Employment Policy | 2017

SECTION 6 STAKEHOLDERS AND ACTORS IN THE NEP IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS This section identifies the various actors and stakeholders who are involved during the implementation of the National Employment Policy in Nigeria. As stated earlier, one Ministry or Department cannot unilaterally implement the NEP. Given that employment is a crosscutting issue, many stakeholders and actors will be involved during the implementation of the policy to enable it attain its set objectives. Thus, to mainstream employment goals in macroeconomic growth strategies and sectoral policies, effective coordination is fundamental. Against this background, the roles of the following actors and stakeholders are outlined below: 6.1 The Federal Government As part of implementing the NEP, the Federal Government shall continue to employ workers and patronize locally made goods and services in order to create jobs. The Federal Government under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment shall oversee the implementation of the NEP in the country. In addition, MDAs shall also play key roles in the implementation of the policy. Among other things, these MDAs shall:  Monitor and evaluate the employment outcomes of government policies, in terms of the level of private sector investment, implementation of social protection programmes.  Implement programs geared towards employment creation.  Coordinate the activities of the private sector aimed at employment creation.  Collect, maintain and disseminate labour market information  Ensure constant inter-ministerial and inter-governmental relations needed for a harmonized implementation strategy in cases such as social security administration.  Actively engage, partner and collaborate with the Private Sector (including professionals and employer associations) for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of NEP.  Ensure the representation of the Private Sector in the various strategic committees to drive the implementation and delivery of the NEP, including the National Employment Council. 6.2 States and Local Governments. The 36 States and 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria are major actors and stakeholders in facilitating employment generation and the implementation of the NEP. States Governments shall establish State Employment Councils under the office of the Governor to implement the NEP at the State level. 6.3 The Private Sector The successful implementation of the NEP strategy depends in part on the commitment and cooperation of entrepreneurs in the private sector. The private sector shall therefore: NEP 2017 66 National Employment Policy | 2017  Adhere to the economic policies and guidelines aimed at creating decent and sustainable employment in the economy  Invest in labour intensive sectors of the economy  Promote social dialogue and ensure the welfare and improved productivity of workers  Encourage the private enterprises (including cooperatives) and micro-entrepreneurs to participate in decent work practices and inclusive work environment procedures. 6.4 Employers’ Organizations and Professional Groups in Nigeria Employers group and professional associations such as the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) etc. shall promote the NEP by:  Enabling private employers to comply with the labour standards stipulated under relevant laws and guidelines in Nigeria;  Promoting corporate governance and social dialogue at work places;  Promoting the mutual benefits of decent work (i.e., better employment and income security at work);  Providing private sector employers with essential and updated information on issues affecting them such as taxation, environmental issues, social security, occupational health and safety, and management of HIV/AIDS.  Helping private sector employers grow their businesses and employ more labour in the economy by providing them with enterprise development programs such as productivity improvement in line with the NEP.  Promoting social dialogue strategies with private sector employers of labour  Providing members with access to updated information on labour market trends under the NEP regime. 6.5 Labour Unions The success of the National Employment Policy equally depends on the active participation of the NLC, TUC and other workers’ organizations in the country. Therefore, workers’ groups shall:  Commit to social dialogue to ensure industrial peace  Promote a decent work environment for continuous production and employment  Promote strategies for increase in labour productivity  Educate workers on their rights and obligations as stipulated in national and international labour standards. 6.6 International Development Organizations International donors and development organizations such as the ILO, UNIDO, UNDP, AfDB, and the World Bank are key actors and stakeholders in development of the National Employment NEP 2017 67 National Employment Policy | 2017 Policy in Nigeria. Their role will complement government’s efforts in the implementation of the policy in the country. Such roles will be in the areas of poverty reduction programs, skill acquisition and program evaluation measures. 6.7 NGOs and Civil Society The active support of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society groups is needed to realize the fundamental objectives of the NEP in Nigeria. Many NGOs have acquired rich experiences in development efforts in rural and urban communities in Nigeria. As watchdogs, NGOs are better placed to oversee a balanced implementation of the various components of the NEP across the country. In addition, NGOs and civil society organizations can be used to mobilized and sensitize family and small businesses operating in the informal economy. NEP 2017 68 National Employment Policy | 2017 GLOSSARY Key Terms Definition The National Policy on Child Labour of Nigeria defines it as work Child Labour that harms children’s well-being and hinders their education, development and future livelihoods. This means any distinction, exclusion or preference which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment Discrimination in employment or occupation, as referred to in the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958, and Recommendation, 1958. Major or main source of income through which the person earns a Earnings livelihood namely: wage, salary, bonuses, incentives and tips, etc. Person who has performed some paid work in cash or in kind, during Employed the reference period in Nigeria for at least 20 hour or the person has a job or business formally attached but temporarily absent from the work and going to resume the work. These are all those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as “paid employment jobs”, where the incumbents hold explicit Employees (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work. a person or organization employing women and men workers under a written or verbal contract of employment, which establishes the Employer rights and duties of both parties, in accordance with national law and practice. Government, public authorities, private enterprises and individuals may be employers. Employment The total number of people currently holding a paid job in the economy. Formal sector The sector of the economy in which women and men workers and employers are registered and/or organized into unions and associations; in which there are rules and regulations governing participation in the sector. It is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all Full employment persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so. UNEP defines a green economy as one that results in “improved Green Economy human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities Information and communications technologies (ICTs) is a concept, Information and an emerging sector in the global economy as well as an umbrella Communication term that includes any communication device or application, Technologies (ICTs) encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems. The term also includes the various services and applications associated with the NEP 2017 69 National Employment Policy | 2017 above, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, banking or libraries. According to the UNEP, these are works in agricultural, Green Jobs manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Small scale units producing and distributing goods and services, consisting largely of independent self-employed persons, some of whom also employ family labour and/or a few hired women and men workers or apprentices; which operate with very little capital or none Informal sector at all; which use very low level of technology and skills; which therefore operate at a low level of productivity; and which generally provide very low or irregular incomes and highly unstable employment to workers. Any information concerning the size and composition of the labour market or any part of the labour market, the way it or any part of it Labour Market functions, its problems, the opportunities which may be available to Information (LMI) it, and the employment-related intentions or aspirations of those who are part of it”. Keynesian economics, describes liquidity trap as a situation in Liquidity Trap which injections of cash into the private banking system by a central bank fail to decrease interest rates and hence make monetary policy ineffective. These refer to loans, deposits, insurance, fund transfer and other ancillary non-financial products targeted at low-income clients. Microfinance Three features distinguish microfinance from other formal financial Services products: (i) smallness of loans and savings, (ii) absence or reduced emphasis on collateral, and (iii) simplicity of operations. Movement of people across a specific boundary for the purpose of establishing a new or semi-permanent residence. There are two types Migration of migration comprising international migration (movement between countries; immigration) and internal migration (movement within the country; emigration). Type of work done during the reference period by the persons Occupation employed (or the kind of work done previously if unemployed), irrespective of the industry or the status in employment of the person. It provides description of a person’s job. Public Policy A set of interrelated decisions, taken by public authorities, concerning the selection of goals and the means of achieving them. Public Policy The complex and comprehensive process by which policy issues are Development identified, the public policy agenda is shaped, issues are researched, analyzed and assessed, policies are drafted and approved and, once implemented, their impact is assessed. This means any modification or adjustment to a job or to the workplace that is reasonably practicable and enables a person with NEP 2017 70 National Employment Policy | 2017 Reasonable disability or sickness to have access to, or participate or advance in, Accommodation employment. Social Partners This means the government, employers and their organizations and workers and their organizations According to the United Nations Research Institute For Social Development, social protection is concerned with preventing, Social Protection managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people's well-being. Social Protection According to the ILO, Social protection floors are nationally defined Floors sets of basic social security guarantees that should ensure, as a minimum that, over the life cycle, all in need have access to essential health care and to basic income security which together secure effective access to goods and services defined as necessary at the national level. Unemployment Unemployment is based on three categories, which are to be followed simultaneously. A person is unemployed if he/she is: without work; available for work; and seeking for work. Underemployment occurs if you work less than full time which is 40 hours but work at least 20 hours on average a week and /or if you Underemployment work full time but are engaged in an activity that underutilizes your skills, time and educational qualifications. Vulnerable The Commission on vulnerable employment defines it as precarious Employment work that places people at risk of continuing poverty and injustice resulting from an imbalance of power in the employer-worker relationship. According to International Labour Organization (ILO) standards and United Nations 1993 System of National Accounts, work includes Work any kind of works or businesses including collecting water or firewood, cow herding, tailoring or making mates, etc. even for the households‟ own consumption This refers to any place in which workers perform their activities Workplace Worker This refers to any person who has entered into or works under a contract with an employer, whether the contract is for manual labour or clerical work or is expressed or implied or oral or written, and whether it is a contract of service or a contract personally to execute any work or labour . This means a working environment, which persons are in some way World of Work or another associated with. This means any combination of persons, the principal purposes of which are the representation and promotion of workers' interests and the regulation of relations between workers and employers, and Workers' includes Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress but not Organization an organization or association that is dominated by an employer or employers' organization. NEP 2017 71 National Employment Policy | 2017 National Employment Policy (NEP) Implementation Matrix GOAL 1: Provision of Functional Education and Skill Training System Specific Activities Key Expected Objectives Stakeholders Outcomes 1.1 To Improve 1.1.1 Address the quality of teachers in our the Quality of educational system by providing adequate Teaching funding for teacher training, certification Increase in funding Profession and standards and welfare of teachers across the for primarily and Provide country. FMoE, FMLE, secondary Appropriate 1.1.2 Address the problem of poor staffing in NUT, NLC, education. Incentives for primary, secondary and technical colleges by ITF, NBTE Nigerian providing the necessary incentives to attract and other Improved pay and Teachers. and retain qualified teachers in the system. concerned working 1.1.3 Improve the pay and working conditions of MDAs. conditions of teachers. teachers. 1.1.4 Train primary and secondary schools teachers to promote intellectual curiosity, value Improve quality of creation, critical thinking, problem solving basic education. and many core skills essential in later in life. 1.1.5 Full funding of primary and secondary schools and TVET. 1.2 Align 1.2.1 Monitor and evaluate output and relevance of Direct educational education the education and training systems in line FMoE, FMLE, resources to system and with the demands of the labour market in NBS, NUC, produce skills skills training Nigeria. Tertiary demanded in the with the 1.2.2 Conduct skill mapping and skill gap studies to institutions of labour market. demand of the determine skills that are in high demand in the learning, ITF, labour market economy. NSCB, NECA Tertiary through skill and other institutions of mapping. concerned learning sensitized partners about producing graduates with the needed and applicable skill sets. Meet the labour demand of specific sectors of the economy. Ensure equilibrium in labour demand and supply. NEP 2017 72 National Employment Policy | 2017 GOAL 2: Improve the capacity of businesses in the private sector to drive the economy and lead in employment generation in Nigeria Specific Activities Key Expected Outcomes Objectives Stakeholders 2.1 Strengthen the 2.1.1 Provide NDE, SMEDAN FMF, CBN, More entrepreneurs capacity of NDE, with sufficient budget and Commercial trained in all LGAs SMEDAN and staff to enable it expand Banks, NDE, in business skills and other agencies its services to all LGAs SMEDAN, financial literacy. in Nigeria. insurance 2.1.2 Provide entrepreneurial companies and education, managerial other skills, business skills, and concerned financial literacy to agencies SMEs. 2.2 Access to 2.2.1 Banks and other financial FMF, CBN, Increase in credit Credit Facilities institutions give priority Banks, facilities extended to and Soft Loans for to MSMEs through SMEDAN, MSMEs MSMEs cooperatives. insurance 2.2.2 Minimal or no collateral companies and requirements for credits to other MSMEs by Banks and concerned other lending institutions. agencies 2.3 Access to 2.3.1 Sensitize the Nigerian Federal Increase in the Market for MSMEs public about the Ministry of purchase of locally and protection from importance of buying Trade, & made goods. foreign locally made goods. Investment; competition. 2.3.2 Promote locally made SMEDAN, goods through trade-fairs. NDE, MAN 2.3 Access to 2.4.1 Provide stable supply of Electricity Stable supply of sustainable energy electric power to MSMEs. generation and electricity to small supply and basic 2.4.2 Construct and rehabilitate distribution businesses across the infrastructure. road networks in the country to companies, country. enhance road transportation and FMPW&H movement of goods across the country. NEP 2017 73 National Employment Policy | 2017 Goal 3: Transformation of Agriculture through value chains in the agro-processing sector Specific Activities Key Expected Outcomes Objectives Stakeholders 3.1 To Transform 3.1.1. Private Sector Driven Federal Increased the Agricultural Agricultural Mechanization. Ministry of mechanization of sector Agriculture, agriculture in Nigeria. 3.1.2 Increase agro-processing IITA, Bank of programs to produce value- Agriculture, More value added to added commodities under FMYD, agricultural products in various food and cash crops Farmers’ Nigeria. across the country. cooperative societies and Agribusiness absorbs 3.1.3 Partner with the private other concerned more productive sector on agribusiness groups. labour in Nigeria. ventures to establish the major farming clusters in the country. 3.2. Improved 3.2.1 Provide storage facilities Federal Reduction in post- storage facilities and extension services to Ministry of harvest loss of farm and reduction in farmers and cooperative Agriculture, products. post-harvest losses groups in all the local IITA, Bank of government areas in the Agriculture, Improved local market country. FMYD, for agro-based Farmers’ products in Nigeria. 3.2.2 Provide access to model cooperative domestic and foreign markets societies and for agro-based products in other concerned Nigeria. groups. Goal 4: Capacity Building for Mining, Mineral Processing, Entertainment and Creative Arts Industries Specific Objectives Activities Key Expected Outcomes Stakeholders 4.1 Generating 4.1.1 Create mining and Federal More minerals mined decent jobs through processing facilities of the 33 Ministry of and processed in the solid minerals commercially viable solid Solid Minerals, Nigeria. and mining sector minerals. Federal Ministry of Increase in exports of 4.1.2 Provide accurate Trade and Nigeria’s solid geographical information to Industries, minerals. licensed private sector NEXIM, CBN operators. Increase in the number of people NEP 2017 74 National Employment Policy | 2017 4.1.3 Establish mineral working in mining processing industries and and solid minerals benefaction plants in the sector. vicinity of mineral reserves in different parts of Nigeria. 4.1.4 Provide credit facilities to private operators in mining and mineral processing industry. 4.2 Increase the 4.2.1 Establish credit facility for Federal Improved quality of Growth of movie and music production in Ministry of movies and music Nigeria’s Film Nigeria. Trade and produced in Nigeria. Industry Industries, 4.2.2 Enforce anti-piracy laws NEXIM, More Nigerian artists in Nigeria Nigerian are gainfully Copyright employed in the 4.2.3 Promote the export of Commission, creative arts sector. Nigerian movies and music. National Film and Video Censors Board, Nigerian Export Promotion Council. Goal 5. To create decent jobs and protect the natural environment. Specific Activities Key Expected Outcomes Objectives Stakeholders 5.1 Expand 5.1.1 Address energy Federal Sustainable Electric renewable energy challenges in Nigeria by Ministry of supply investing in renewable energy Power, NDE, in Nigeria. sources. ITF, BOI, UNIDO, Employment of many 5.1.2 Provide incentives such Federal Nigerians in the Green as tax breaks to new companies Ministry of economy. in the renewable energy sector. Trade and 5.1.3 Tax incentives for private Investment sector investment in nuclear and renewable energy sources. Private Sector 5.1.3 Provide credit facilities to existing and new companies in the green energy sector. NEP 2017 75 National Employment Policy | 2017 Goal 6: Create opportunities for employment, apprenticeship, and skill acquisition for youth. Specific Activities Key Expected Outcomes Objectives Stakeholders 1.3 Apprenticeship, 1.3.1 Provide opportunities for FML&E, NDE, Skill matching and job volunteer, and unemployed youth to acquire Office of the placements Internship skills and experiences in VP, FMYD, programmes entrepreneurship, leadership FMoE, ITF, all and other professions of MDAs, and interest. private businesses NEP 2017 76