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The President Muhammadu Buhari administration received yet another international acclaim at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva with the nomination of Nigeria by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a pathfinder nation in what it termed Star Alliance Against Child Labour, Slave Labour and Human Trafficking.

The nomination, according to the Chief of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) at the ILO, Beate Andrees, is sequel to top diplomatic support shown by President Buhari to the initiative at the 2016 and 2017 sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

Speaking at a bilateral meeting with the Nigerian delegation, by the sidelines of the 107 International Labour Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, Andrees said the huge role, which Nigeria currently plays in championing the crusade against child labour and human trafficking, easily secured the place in the International Star Alliance, aimed at bringing down the incidence of Child Labour, forced Labour and Human Trafficking by 2025 and 2030, respectively.

She called on Nigeria to further galvanize the efforts of its tripartite community to ensure the success of this coalition through effective awareness campaign backed by affirmative action. Accepting Nigeria’s nomination, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige thanked the ILO for endorsing different steps already being taken by Nigeria to check the threat of universal social disorder linked to poverty, global demand for cheap and indecent labour as well as sex tourism, that is unfortunately pushed by international criminal network.

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He further pledged to bring on board, relevant ministries and agencies of government as well as ensure private sector participation in a common front against all exactions on the vulnerability of women and children and all forms of bonded labour .

Said he, “ I will seek the approval of the Federal Executive Council of the Government of Nigeria to bring on board relevant ministries and agencies such as Women Affairs, Youth and Sports, Agriculture, NAPTIP and others for inter-ministerial and agency synergy and further devolve action down to our federating units – states where the majority of our people live. The fact that my ministry already has thirty-six state and about ten zonal offices which can serve as diffusion points to the local levels is an added advantage.”

While appreciating the technical assistance promised by the ILO in this regard , the Minister also said awareness campaign and other institutional measures to tackle what passes for a modern day slavery must go beyond the transit countries of Africa to the host communities of Europe and Asia where governments appear to have a passing interest in the social scourge.

The alliance which already has ten countries as members such as Australia, Argentina, Germany, UK, France, among others is being expanded to fifteen countries.