Professor Emeka Okafor, an industrial sociology expert at the University of Ibadan, has claimed that the high unemployment rates in Nigeria have resulted in the growth of excess and inexpensive labour, which is frequently taken advantage of by businesses in a variety of industries.
This was said by him in his presentation, “The Periphery of the Periphery: Exploring the Experiences of Non-Standard Workers,” which was given at the University of Ibadan’s 562nd inaugural lecture. Okafor emphasised that because of their unstable job status, non-standard workers—like temporary workers—are especially vulnerable.
“When we view work organisations as systems with multiple actors, employers, supervisors, and even regular employees find themselves marginalising and exploiting these workers within the organisational framework,” he said.
Professor Okafor underlined that irregular or casual workers in Nigeria face harsh and precarious working circumstances because they are unable to form a union. He pleaded with the federal and state governments to uphold labour regulations intended to shield these workers from being exploited. “Non-standard workers’ inability to join trade unions hinders their capacity to negotiate for better working conditions, including fair pay,” he claims.
Additionally, they frequently lack access to other fundamental rights. As such, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) definition of decent work continues to be an ideal that is mostly out of reach for the majority of workers in non-standard employment settings.
Professor Okafor urged the Nigerian government, which is the country’s biggest employer, to take steps to resolve these problems by making sure that laws and labour standards safeguarding employees’ rights are strictly upheld.
In order to set an example for other stakeholders, he asked the government to regularise non-standard workers in ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals by giving them possibilities for steady employment and career growth.
He also emphasised the significance of enacting measures meant to stimulate the economy and draw in investment, as well as the imperative of coming up with innovative ways to create jobs. In order to guarantee adherence to safety regulations and to promptly compensate victims of industrial accidents or fatalities, he also advocated for the necessity of fortifying labour inspection procedures.
Professor Okafor counselled the Ministry of Labour and Employment to uphold current labour rules and regulations in order to protect workers’ rights and guarantee workplace safety. This entails fighting corruption within the Inspectorate Department, which he claimed may allow dishonest companies to get around laws pertaining to the treatment of non-standard labour, and carrying out routine workplace inspections to find and address safety issues.
According to Prof. Okafor, labour unions need to put pressure on employers to use collective bargaining agreements to improve working conditions for non-standard workers and regularise them.
