The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has officially launched the Revised National Employment Policy (NEP) 2025, setting a new direction for job creation and the promotion of decent work across Nigeria.

The updated policy was developed with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the Strengthening Employability and Employment Systems in Nigeria (SEESIN) project. Implementation support was provided by the Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), on behalf of the German government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, described the policy as a comprehensive framework designed to deliver inclusive growth, equity, productivity, and sustainability in the Nigerian labour market. He noted that the revised NEP offers bold, inclusive, and future-fit solutions to address long-standing employment challenges.

Dingyadi highlighted key issues confronting the employment landscape ranging from high youth unemployment, underemployment, and informality, to gender disparities and regional inequalities. He added that the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed systemic vulnerabilities, underscoring the urgent need for proactive and adaptive employment policies.

The NEP 2025, he explained, reflects the changing dynamics of the national and global economy. It provides strategic direction for tapping into employment opportunities in emerging areas such as digital transformation, the green, blue, and orange economies, and remote work. It also outlines measures to enhance public employment services and streamline coordination among stakeholders involved in job creation and decent work initiatives.

“Beyond the pandemic, the global world of work is being reshaped by automation, climate change, digitisation, demographic shifts, and geopolitical uncertainties,” Dingyadi said.

He emphasized that the NEP 2025 is not a stand-alone policy, but a strategic compass aligned with national and international frameworks such as Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025), ECOWAS Labour and Employment Protocols, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the ILO’s Future of Work Initiative.

“At the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda is a national commitment to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through job creation, youth empowerment, enterprise development, digital innovation, and inclusive growth,” he said. “This policy offers a coherent roadmap to actualise those goals by promoting decent work, formalising the informal economy, boosting employability, and unlocking emerging sectors for job creation.”

The Minister stressed that the policy recognises employment not just as an economic priority, but also as a tool for social justice, national security, and sustainable development. It sets the strategic tone for all employment-related initiatives under the current administration, ensuring synergy across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) while prioritising inclusivity especially for youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

The revised policy includes measurable indicators and timelines to enable evidence-based implementation and monitoring. “This is not a document of good intentions,” he added, “but a roadmap for measurable transformation.”

Dingyadi also pointed out that the NEP recognises remote work (telework) as an increasingly viable mode of employment, particularly beneficial for people with disabilities, women with caregiving responsibilities, and others with mobility limitations.

He called on state governments to domesticate the NEP and align their job creation strategies with the national framework. “Employment is a shared mandate, and state-level action is crucial to delivering results,” he said.

Addressing the private sector, Dingyadi urged collaboration in designing labour-market responsive skills programmes, investing in employment-rich sectors, and supporting workplace innovation and formalisation. He also appealed to development partners to continue supporting national capacity-building efforts and labour market data systems to ensure no one is left behind.

To Nigeria’s youth and workers’ organisations, he said: “This is your policy too. Engage with it, monitor its implementation, and hold us accountable. Let us build ecosystems that support entrepreneurship, stimulate demand for labour, and foster productive partnerships between training institutions and industries.”

Speaking on behalf of the ILO, Vanessa Phala, Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the ECOWAS Liaison Office, noted that the revised NEP is a strategic response to Nigeria’s socioeconomic realities, which have hindered inclusive growth and equitable access to employment.

Represented by Austin Erameh, Phala said the policy is designed to address key labour market challenges such as job quality, unemployment, underemployment, and decent work deficits by promoting sustainable growth, increasing workforce participation, and raising job standards across sectors.

She stressed the importance of grounding employment policy in rigorous research and data analysis and reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to social dialogue, decent work, and international labour standards.

Phala further emphasised the need for policy coherence across employment, education, social protection, labour migration, and skills. “It is essential to ensure that lifelong learning and employment-intensive investments are systematically incorporated to advance sustainable development,” she said.

According to her, the policy also includes targeted measures to boost vocational training, attract investment in high-potential industries, and support the integration of marginalised groups into the workforce. With its strong monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the policy aims to ensure measurable progress in job creation, productivity, and adherence to international labour standards thereby strengthening Nigeria’s economic resilience and global competitiveness.

The revised National Employment Policy is positioned as a vital tool for reducing unemployment and underemployment, enhancing job quality, and fostering inclusive and sustainable development. It offers a structured national approach to address skills mismatches, improve employment services, and encourage effective collaboration among stakeholders across all levels of government.