FG to Extend Social Protection to 60 Million Nigerians in Informal Economy

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Dingyadi, has disclosed plans by the federal government to extend social protection coverage to over 60 million Nigerians working in the informal economy, as part of efforts to strengthen and safeguard livelihoods and reduce vulnerability among low-income households.

A statement signed by Head of Press and Public Relations, Annah Daniel, said the minister made the disclosure in Abuja during a two-day national dialogue on expanding social protection to informal workers.

Dingyadi said the federal government was taking concrete steps to address decades of exclusion affecting millions of Nigerians who earn a living in markets, farms, workshops, roadside enterprises, and other informal settings.

He pointed out that in many developing nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, the informal economy constituted the lion’s share of the workforce, stating that Nigeria is no exception.

“Today, we write a new chapter in our collective journey to give dignity, inclusion, and protection to the over 60 million Nigerians who make up our informal economy,” the minister stated.

Dingyadi said by some estimates, more than 65 per cent of Nigeria’s employed population worked outside of formal contracts and formal protections.

He said, “These are our traders in open markets and kiosks, farmers and fisherfolk, transport workers, okada riders, keke drivers, tailors, artisans, vulcanisers, domestic workers, caregivers, street sweepers, digital freelancers, and millions more who contribute daily to our economy

“Yet these workers are too often excluded from pensions, health insurance, maternity protection, unemployment relief, workplace injury compensation, and access to finance, we cannot build a just equitable, or resilient Nigeria when such a large portion of our workforce is left vulnerable he mentioned.”

Earlier, in her welcome address, Minister of State Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who was represented by Director Productivity Measurement and Labour Standards, Mr. Emmanuel Igbinosun, said the presence of stakeholders at the national dialogue spoke to the ministry’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the well-being of every worker, especially those in the informal sector who formed the heartbeat of Nigeria’s economy.