Nigeria’s minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, has asked employers of labour to leverage recommendations in a new report launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in partnership with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) to navigate through the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace.
He spoke at the launch of the report titled, “The next normal: The changing workplace in Nigeria”, and beyond. The research work sponsored by the ILO, was carried out by Abiodun Folawewo, a professor and his team. It examined the impacts of COVID-19 in the work environment and made strong recommendations to stay efficient in the global ‘new normal’ and the post-COVID era.
Some of the recommendations are that: enterprises should devise vital human resources management tools for managing the pool of employees who work either in-person or virtually, introduce and maintain safety and hygiene measures in the workplace, improve information technology (IT), embrace flexible policies, prepare for unplanned shocks be futuristic, among others.
Speaking at the launch of the survey report in Lagos, last week, Ngige decried the lives lost to the pandemic and its socio-economic impact which has caused unprecedented global loss of jobs losses and livelihood.
Read also: Russia lowers interest rate to 17% to support crippling economy
According to the minister, who was represented by Chinedu Dike, his technical adviser, the pandemic has also led to increased insecurity, especially for the informal economy with its wide population of self-employed persons and medium scale enterprises.
“It has also thrown to light the need for a wide range of social protection schemes covering the horizontal social protection floor dimension and the vertical dimension as well. Also coming to light is the need for a well-developed and enhanced digital economy.
With this pandemic, humanity has discovered its resilient nature of improvising and improving what we have, when need be. An example is this launch of the next normal for the world of work. Rather than dwell in lamentation of what was, humanity is moving ahead to recover its confidence and devise a new normal to transact business and live in society,” said Ngige.
The minister, therefore, encouraged employers in the economy to adopt a ‘new normal’ that would be inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.
Taiwo Adeniyi, president of NECA, in his address at the unveiling of the report, said the research presents a collection of views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and work in Nigeria and describes the varying ways in which the pandemic has affected work and the workplace; changing production strategies; the role of labour law and regulatory framework in the adaptation of businesses in terms of upskilling and reskilling needs and management of human resources.
“One critical evidence from the study is the indication that COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of remote work practices such as “work-from-anywhere,” a form of work anticipated in the future of work initiatives of the ILO, which was discussed as far back as 2013, said Adeniyi.
The director of the ILO country office, in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Deborah France-Massin, in her remarks, said the report opens the opportunity for businesses to restrategise their approach to workplace safety.
