Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment
Government - Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity recently renamed as  Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is one of the oldest Ministries in Nigeria. It began as a Department of Labour in the then Colonial office in 1932 and developed into a full fledged Ministry in 1952. The Ministry is established under item 34, Second Schedule of the Exclusive List, 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ammended.

The Ministry is structured into six Zonal labour offices, nine Departments consisting of six Professional and three Service Departments. It operates 36 State Labour Offices and the FCT, 23 District Labour Offices Labour Desk Office, Geneva, Switzerland. Recently nine (9) Labour Desk were approved for nne Ministries, Department and Agencies. In addition, it oversees Five (5) Parastatals and relates with several national and international Bodies and Organizations.

i. Department of the Ministry

• Inspectorate
• Employment and wages
• Trade Unions Services and Industrial Relations
• Productivity Measurement and standards
• Social Security
• Skills Development and Certification
• Policy Analysis Research and Statistics
• Human Resources
• Finance and Accounts
• Special Duties
• General Services
• Reform Coordination and Service Improvement

Six (6) Zonal Labour Offices:

• a. South West –Lagos
• b. South East – Enugu
• c. South-South – PortHarcourt
• d. North-East – Bauchi
• e. North-West – Kaduna
• f. North- Central – Makurdi

ii. Agencies of the Ministry

• National Directorate of Employment (NDE)
• National Productivity Centre (NPC)
• Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS)
• Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)
• Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP).

iii. Local and International Social Partners

A. Local:

• National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC)
• National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN)
• National Council on Productivity (NCP)
• National Employment Council (NEC)
• Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
• Trade Unions Congress (TUC)
• Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA)

B. International:

• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Africa Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC)
• Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU)
• Africa Union, Labour and Social Affairs Commission (AULSAC)
• Organization Of Trade Union of West Africa
• Pan African Employers Association
• Pan African Productivity Association (PAPA)
• International Social Security Association (ISSA)

2. Mandate:

1. Development and promotion of productive employment policies and programmes for employment generation and actualization of the National Action Plan on Employment Creation and the Local Employment Content initiatives of the Federal Government.
2. Stimulation and enhancement of national Productivity Consciousness, rewards for excellence and promotion of national competitiveness.
3. Skills Development, upgrading, certification, placement and empowerment of artisans, tradesmen and applicants in various areas of national needs
4. Provision of Social Security Coverage, Welfare and Employee’s Compensation to the nations workforce
5. Provision of Labour Protection Services, supervision, enforcement, Education, Promotion of Social Justice, Ratification, Implementation and Review of National Labour Laws and Policies including collective bargained agreements.
6. Trade Unions Education and Training
7. International Labour Diplomacy
8. Promotion of Occupational Safety and Health
9. Administration of the Factories Act 

3. Vision Statement: To facilitate and promote peaceful, productive and harmonious industrial relations, safe and decent working environment and enhanced social security coverage for all Nigerians.

   Mission Statement: To create an enabling environment for growth and sustainable development through best practices in labour administration.

4. Policy Environment:

1. National Policy on Employment
2. National Policy on Productivity
3. National Policy on Occupational Safety, Health and Welfare
4. National Policy on HIV/AIDS at work
5. National Policy on Labour Migration
6. National Policy on Child Labour
7. Guideline on labour Contracting and Outsourcing in the oil and gas industry
8. Guidelines on Skills Development and Training
9. Other Guidelines, Codes Of Practice And Regulations
10. National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health

5. Legal Framework for Labour Administration:

• 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
• Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004.
• Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN, 2004.
• Trade Unions (Amended) Act, 2005.
• Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, LFN, 2004
• Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, Cap T9, LFN, 2004
• National Minimum Wage Act, 2010
• Employment Compensation Act, 2010
• Wages Board and Industrial Council Act, 2004
• Other subsidiary Legislations, Regulations, Codes of Practice.
• Public Service Rules, Circulars and Notices
• ILO Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols
• Nigeria Factories Act