The Federal Government has clarified that its new National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) does not criminalize strikes by workers.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, addressed concerns raised by organised labour on Tuesday, stating that the NIRP is designed to ensure uninterrupted workflow, foster effective social dialogue, and promote cooperation among the government, employers, and workers.
“It is not true that the Federal Government is introducing a policy to criminalise strikes in the country,” he said. “Some people are just misconstruing or misunderstanding this policy. There is no intention to use it to prevent workers from going on strike.”
The minister noted that the policy actually emphasises dialogue and that the government has no intention of preventing workers from striking. He cited a recent example of workers who embarked on a warning strike without any government obstruction.
On job creation, Dingyadi said the ministry is moving towards modern, technology-based skills training, with a focus on areas like Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance employability.
He also revealed that the ministry is working on Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to create job opportunities for Nigerian youths.
