This National Employment Policy (NEP) 2017 is a comprehensive document that reviews the previous NEP of 2013. It aims to (i) create the enabling environment for productive and employment-intensive growth in the country; and (ii) ensure job-rich and inclusive economic growth through a combination of wage employment and self-employment. Focusing on employment-centered economic growth will create decent and sustainable employment opportunities, reduce poverty and expand the country’s workforce, with improved quality of life and social well-being for all. The objectives of the National Employment Policy are t (i) promote the goal of full employment as a priority in national, economic and social policy, and to enable all men and women who are available and willing to work, to attain secured and sustainable livelihood through full productive and freely chosen employment and work; (ii) provide the fullest possible opportunity to each worker to qualify for and to use his/her skills and endowments in a job for which he/she is well suited, irrespective of race, sex, religion , political opinion, physical disabilities, national extraction, ethnic or social origin; (iii) stimulate economic growth and development, eradicate poverty, and improve the levels of living by minimizing the rates of unemployment and underemployment, optimizing the utilization of labour and human resources and protecting areas in which Nigeria is well endowed; (iv) highlight the multi-sectorial character of employment generation and the collective responsibility of key stakeholders through harmonized efforts toward achieving this goal; (v) design strategies that will promote skills and competencies for those in the formal and informal sector especially in rural areas; (vi) promote conducive and enabling environment to enhance the growth of the private sector and transformation of the informal sector into formal sector; (vii) enhance the integration of migrant labour on employment outcomes in the Nigerian labour market, and within the West African sub-region; (viii) ensure income security and social protection of Nigerian workers, safeguarding the basic rights and interests of Nigerian workers in accordance with International Labour Standards; (ix) foster inclusive economic growth and adequate allocation of investable resources to employment potential sectors such as agriculture, non-farm activities in rural areas, manufacturing and agro-value addition industries, and infrastructure and social services sectors; (x) promote the creation and maintenance of a functional labour market information system (LMIS) in Nigeria; (xi) recommend an effective strategy for the implementation of national employment policy in Nigeria through a harmonized monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The Policy aims to align employment strategies with national economic and social policies, emphasizing the role of the private sector in job creation and economic growth. The Government will create a conducive environment for private investment while ensuring stable macroeconomic policies, human resource development, and infrastructure investment. The document encourages a shift from "job seekers" to "job creators" by promoting entrepreneurship and self-reliance. Additionally, the NEP seeks to protect vulnerable groups through targeted safety nets and enhance workforce skills to boost productivity and inclusive growth.
Nigeria · 2017-01-01