The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh has called on all Nigerians both in the public and private sectors to support the efforts of the Federal Government at providing social security protection to vulnerable groups.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Mr. Felix Ogenyi made this appeal in Abuja while declaring open a Stakeholders’ Meeting on “Addressing the Social Security Needs of the Informal Workers through Cooperative Delivery System.”
In his word: “The challenges of social security in our society today cannot be over looked. A dynamic system to conquer the many constraints to social security delivery can only be attained through both public and private cooperation. He stressed the need to establish management of social security programmed at meeting the aspiration of people with special needs, households below poverty line, vulnerable and elderly persons.”
Dr. Illoh added that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has devised means of addressing the social security needs of the informal workers through cooperative system; adding that every member of the society has the right to social security and entitled to its realization through national effort and international cooperation.
He expressed optimism that the stakeholders’ meeting would create a stronger social protection system which will have all the requisite tools and technology required to deliver and complement the government’s mandate to alleviate the pains of the informal and vulnerable people in the country.
In her remarks, the Director, Social Security/Cooperative Development Department, Mrs. Mojisola Sonubi explained that over the years, the Nigerian Government at various levels has adopted policies aimed at enhancing the performance of the informal sector including entrepreneurship development and international financial assistance stressing that the purpose of the stakeholders’ meeting was to further consolidate on the achievements made by using cooperatives as an avenue to meet the social security needs of the informal workers.
She reaffirmed that the fundamental objective of the Government according to the constitution is ‘security and welfare of all people’ which means that the informal sector which accounts for as much as an estimated 57.9% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) according to the United Nations, should enjoy social security cover.
Also speaking, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Senior Programme Officer, Chinyere Emeka-Anuna in her remarks, hinted that ILO is working in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to review and harmonize social security draft policies for Nigeria; pledging that her Organisation will support the implementation of any policy that is tailored towards protecting the informal economy.
Send your news, press releases/articles to info@primetimereporters.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook at facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526.
