•Upskill FMLE, employers, union officials on job creation
In an effort to tackle Nigeria’s deepening employment crisis, the Federal Government, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), has expanded the scope of the Strengthening Employment and Employability Systems in Nigeria (SEESIN) project, training frontline labour officials, employers’ and workers’ representatives to become certified facilitators of enterprise development across the country.
The expanded capacity-building effort, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) with support from the ILO and funding from the German Government through GIZ, culminated in a two-week Training of Trainers (ToT) on the globally recognised Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme, held in Abuja.
The initiative brought together officials from FMLE Job Centres, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), reinforcing a tripartite approach to employment promotion at a time when the labour market is under severe strain.
Speaking at the closing session, the ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr. Vanessa Phala, described the training as “a milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to address persistent labour-market challenges, including youth underemployment, informality, and barriers faced by women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups.”
According to her, the SIYB programme, delivered under both the SEESIN and the Action for Improving Labour Migration Governance in Nigeria (ACTION) projects, is designed to build a pool of “technically proficient, gender-responsive, and socially inclusive-certified SIYB trainers” who will cascade entrepreneurship and business management skills nationwide.
“For the ILO, the SIYB programme is critical for promoting financial inclusion, enabling informed decision-making, and supporting pathways to decent work, particularly for populations vulnerable to economic displacement or migration,” Phala said, stressing that access to business and financial literacy remains key to ensuring that small businesses are viable, sustainable and inclusive.
The training comes against the backdrop of sobering labour market realities. Mr. Joseph Akpan, Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, noted that Nigeria’s labour market can absorb “only about 10 per cent of school leavers into paid employment,” making self-employment not just an option but a necessity for millions.
“Self-employment remains a viable option for many Nigerians,” Akpan said, underscoring the importance of well-trained facilitators in guiding aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women and informal sector workers, towards sustainable livelihoods.
Anchored on the National Development Plan (2021–2025), the newly approved National Employment Policy 2025 and the National Labour Migration Policy, the programme is also aligned with Nigeria’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth.
For organised labour, the initiative represents a strategic response to unemployment while keeping decent work principles at the centre of enterprise promotion. In his remarks, the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Benson Upah, reaffirmed labour’s support for the programme, describing it as a structured and inclusive approach to Nigeria’s employment challenges.
“For trade unions, the primary concern is the protection and defence of workers’ human and labour rights and the entrenchment of the Decent Work Agenda for all workers,” Upah said. “We identify with these initiatives of the FMLE and the ILO because they promote decent jobs, improve the capacity of employment service stakeholders and address decent work deficits in Nigeria.”
He added that the NLC expects the training to close existing capacity gaps and produce a corps of certified SIYB trainers capable of supporting job creation, skills development and lifelong learning across the country.
With participants drawn from FMLE Job Centres in Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Nasarawa, Enugu and Kano, as well as key employers’ and workers’ organisations, the programme is expected to have a multiplier effect, enabling step-down trainings for job seekers, youth and micro, small and medium enterprises nationwide.
As the trainers return to their respective institutions, Dr. Phala urged them to “apply the knowledge and skills gained here, cascade the training to beneficiaries, and continue to promote entrepreneurship, decent work, and inclusive economic growth,” expressing confidence that the initiative would leave “a lasting impact for Nigeria’s workforce.”