By Joan Nwagwu

The Federal Government has announced that gender mainstreaming will be a key guiding principle in its ongoing labour reforms.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, made this known while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Senior Officers’ Conference of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, on Monday in Keffi.

The conference is themed, “Reforming Labour Administration System in Nigeria.”

Dingyadi stated that integrating gender considerations into labour reforms would ensure equal access to employment opportunities for women and vulnerable groups, free from discrimination.

He added that other core principles of the reform included strengthening institutional capacity, digitising service delivery, enhancing tripartite collaboration, improving occupational safety and health coverage, and reinforcing accountability and compliance mechanisms.

Speaking further, the minister said the conference theme not only reflected the ministry’s current priorities but also aligned with the national goal of leveraging human capital for sustainable development and global competitiveness.

He noted that changing global work patterns, technological innovation, demographic shifts, climate change, and globalisation were reshaping the workplace, including how, where, and when people work.

Dingyadi emphasised the need for the ministry to adapt to the changes by building a resilient, inclusive, and transparent labour administration system that met the demands of modern Nigeria.

He described the conference as a timely opportunity to reflect, reset, and renew commitment to decent work and equitable labour practices.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Salihu Usman, highlighted the need for Nigeria to re-evaluate its labour system to keep pace with global changes.

He stressed that technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence and emerging workplace trends had transformed the world of work, and the conference presented a platform to reposition Nigeria’s labour administration accordingly. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru