The Federal Government has launched a renewed push to extend social protection to more than 60 million Nigerians working in the informal economy, saying the country cannot claim fairness or resilience while so many workers remain vulnerable. Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, announced this on Tuesday at the opening of a two day National Dialogue on Extending Social Protection to the Informal Economy in Abuja.
He said millions of people who contribute to the economy through informal jobs still lack basic protection. According to him, traders, farmers, artisans, vulcanisers, tailors, transport workers, domestic workers, and caregivers continue to operate without safety nets. Dingyadi stated, “I can see young people who live daily in markets, farms, roadsides, and workshops across our nation, often without protection, voice, or recognition.” He explained that the government is determined to close this gap, adding, “Today, we write a new chapter in our collective journey to give dignity, inclusion, and social protection to the over 60 million Nigerians who make up our informal economy.”
He highlighted that more than 65 percent of Nigeria’s workforce is outside formal systems, leaving many without access to pensions, health insurance, maternity protection, or compensation for workplace injuries. He warned about the consequences, saying, “A single illness can drive a family into poverty. An accident at work can leave a breadwinner helpless. Women must choose between health and work because maternity protection is absent. Social protection is not charity. It is a human right.”
Dingyadi noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognises the duty to provide safety nets for citizens, especially vulnerable groups. He pointed to ongoing expansion of contributory schemes under the National Health Insurance Authority, the National Social Insurance Trust Fund, and the Micro Pension Plan. He also mentioned pilot programmes with the ILO, UNICEF, and the World Bank, efforts to formalize micro businesses, and stronger labour inspections in informal clusters.
The Minister said the national dialogue must create a framework with clear targets for coverage expansion and financing. He called for collaboration between federal, state, and local governments, cooperatives, labour unions, civil society, fintechs, and development partners. “We are standing at the crossroads of history. We can choose to perpetuate systems that leave millions in the shadow, or we can build bridges from informality to inclusion. Let this dialogue be remembered as the spark that ignited a movement towards a Nigeria where every hand that labours is protected by the state,” he said.
Dr. Vanessa Phala, Director of the ILO Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, praised the initiative but noted that 85.2 percent of Nigerians still lack access to social protection. She confirmed the ILO’s support for Nigeria in extending legal coverage, removing administrative barriers, improving financing methods, and strengthening incentives for formalization. “This requires a comprehensive strategy to overcome barriers to coverage. In most cases, a combination of measures will be necessary to address these barriers effectively, equitably, and sustainably,” she said.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, represented by Mr. Emmanuel Igbinosun, said the dialogue reflected a “national conversation about inclusion, dignity, and fairness,” aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda’s promise to ensure no worker is left behind.
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, represented by Mr. Thompson Akpabio, also pledged support. He noted that Nigeria’s diverse economy and geography require fitting solutions, adding that NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women and SME programmes could boost government plans if supported by strong policies.
The two day meeting is expected to deliver practical frameworks, financing strategies, and monitoring systems to help extend social protection to informal workers across the country.
