THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL and Chief Executive Officer of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his (Tinubu) administration’s job retention and job-led economic reforms over the past two years.
Aremu offered the praise on Wednesday on the side-line of the 2025 International Labour Conference (2025 ILC) in Geneva.
Aremu, a government delegate at the conference, also sided with a statement delivered by Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammed Maigari Dingyadi, noting that this year’s ILO Director-General’s report aligns with the priorities of President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” in areas such as employment, economic growth, inclusiveness, and poverty eradication.
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Aremu highlighted that in accordance with the ILO principle that “labour is not a commodity” nor a “cost item to be cut indiscriminately,” President Tinubu took the step of removing the “prohibitive fuel subsidy” to reallocate resources for public sector job retention.
According to Aremu, the move marks a shift from post-1999 reforms that often led to excessive public sector downsizing and job losses. He noted that
Aremu praised President Tinubu for prioritizing job retention and the creation of decent work opportunities, ensuring Nigerians can work in freedom, safety, and dignity. He cited the Presidential approval of 774 National Health Fellows from local government areas to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system as an example of this commitment.
While acknowledging persistent social injustices and inequalities, Aremu commended the Tinubu administration for signing the 2024 minimum wage and establishing the 2024 Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said aimed to promote income equity and accessible higher education and skills development for students.
He noted that the challenge now lies in improving the new minimum wage, which is due for review in 2027 after President Tinubu reduced the review cycle from five to three years.
Aremu emphasized that Nigeria’s six national minimum wage adjustments since 1981 position the country favourably in ILO’s tripartite best practices ranking.
Aremu urged the Federal Government to strengthen labour market institutions such as MINILS, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and the National Productivity Centre to support the Renewed Hope Agenda through enhanced labour education, productivity improvement, and industrial harmony. He warned that “low and late funding fuels underperformance.”
