Experts call for regulation, licensing of domestic workers

By Ebere Agozie/Anita Uzoagba

Experts have called for urgent formalisation and regulation of domestic work in Nigeria, stressing that domestic workers remain largely invisible, unprotected and vulnerable to exploitation.

They made this know at the conclusion of the five-day 7th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference organized by the Rule of Law Development Foundation (ROLDF) on Friday in Abuja.

Mrs Ozioma Izuora, Lecturer, Baze University, Abuja said that domestic workers are the people you see every day. They have always been part of our households, yet they have remained invisible and unprotected.

According to her, the Igbo apprenticeship scheme is a positive institutional pathway for training and wealth creation.

“It is unfortunate that the government has not paid enough attention to formalising or learning from this model.

Izuora said that cases of exploitation, underpayment, physical abuse and sexual violence are still widespread, despite protections under the Child Rights Act.

“Stories abound of children being beaten, burned, denied food or left to sleep outside.

“Some agents run rackets where they rotate young girls between households, and many of these children have no contracts, no voice and no access to their own wages”.

She added that some domestic workers, due to lack of education and guidance, also violate trust by abandoning work without notice or engaging in criminal activity.

She underscored the need for government monitoring, licencing of private agencies, and the establishment of a dispute-resolution mechanism.

She added that Nigeria’s adoption of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 189 places it under obligation to ensure decent working conditions for millions of domestic workers who have long been marginalised.

“If domestic work is to be formalised, then government must monitor implementation closely”, she said.

Mr Hygenus Ibaga, a Legal Practitioner, said that domestic work remains one of the most undervalued and least regulated sectors in Nigeria despite its vital role in supporting households and the wider economy.

According to him, domestic work in Nigeria has historically been treated as a private or charitable arrangement rather than a formal job.

“We often say, I’m helping that small boy or girl but what we want now is a legal framework that recognises the cleaner or caregiver as a staff entitled to rights and protection.

He noted that while the Constitution protects rights such as dignity, liberty and freedom from discrimination, the absence of a dedicated law leaves domestic workers vulnerable.

He added that existing laws such as the Child Rights Act, the Penal Codes and criminal laws offer some protection, but enforcement remains weak.

Ibaga noted that Nigeria has yet to ratify ILO Convention 189, which guarantees rights to fair remuneration, working hours, rest periods and social security.

He noted that two earlier Senate bills have been consolidated into the Domestic Workers’ Protection Bill, which the Senate passed on Nov. 12, 2025 and the House of Representatives is yet to pass the bill.

He further urged the National Assembly to strengthen implementation capacity, speed up passage of the bill and create mechanisms that domestic workers can actually access.

For her part, Mrs Linda Raji, project Officer, ROLDF, said that weak institutions and entrenched social norms are the biggest obstacles to enforcing domestic workers’ rights in Nigeria.

According to her, informality remains the major barrier to enforcement, as recruitment of domestic workers often happens secretly through unlicensed agents without any written contract.

“I once overheard someone say, I need a girl, 16 years old, send her here, within two days, the girl arrived. You wonder if the parents even know where their child is.

She noted that domestic workers are predominantly women and girls, many of them underage, poorly educated and at constant risk of retaliation if they report abuse.

She added that another challenge was the long-standing cultural belief that domestic work was not a real work and therefore undeserving of dignity or rights.

She expressed concern that some recruitment agents may continue to exploit the system if licencing and oversight remain weak.

“Many employers genuinely do not know their obligations, so sensitisation is key”.

She stressed the need for safe reporting channels, such as hotlines and anonymous systems, to protect workers who fear losing their jobs.

She called for nationwide awareness campaigns by the National Orientation Agency and civil society groups, stressing that domestic work should not involve children below 16.

Dr. Balogun Makanjuola, said that Nigeria’s failure to use data-driven decision-making, alongside widespread poverty and unemployment, remains a major obstacle to effectively protecting domestic workers in the country.

According to him, the supply of cheap labour, especially girls and young people, continues to rise due to poverty, out-of-school rates, and lack of opportunities.

He added that domestic workers accept low pay because employers know they have no bargaining power.

“The law of supply applies here. When workers are in excess, the price of labour falls and that is why people pay N20,000 or N30,000, even my personal driver, a graduate, earns N30,000, and there are ten others waiting to take the job,” he said.

He noted that applying formalised standards without considering economic realities could create friction.

He emphasised that unemployment, poverty, poor governance and regulatory capture are major structural barriers that may limit the effectiveness of the proposed domestic worker legislation.

“If we do not address poverty, bad governance and corruption, the legislation will struggle. Domestic workers need protection, but implementation must be grounded in Nigeria’s socioeconomic realities,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Massoud Oredola, said that there should be greater protection and fair treatment of domestic workers in Nigeria, drawing on Islamic teachings that highlight leadership, duty, and compassion within households.

“Domestic workers should not be overburdened with work and additional tasks should either come with assistance or fair compensation, similar to overtime and holiday pay standards globally.

“The law alone is insufficient to guarantee justice, and that kindness and service to others remain fundamental principles, our prime purpose in this life is to help others. If you cannot help, at least don’t hurt, exploit or add to their misery.

“Service and kindness to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth, we are all tenants; God Almighty is our landlord,” he said.

Tinubu’s Trip Cancellation: A Masterclass in Political Tokenism and National Neglect.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“Why Symbolic Gestures Cannot Substitute Real Leadership in a Nation Under Siege.”

Nigeria stands once again at the crossroads of tragedy and spectacle. The recent announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he had cancelled his planned diplomatic trip to South Africa and Angola has been celebrated by his spokespersons as a sign of empathy and national concern. Yet, upon deeper scrutiny, this decision is nothing more than a politically expedient performance; an empty gesture crafted for media applause rather than national healing.

True leadership is not measured by cancelled flights or televised speeches. It is measured by courage, presence, decisions and the unwavering will to confront crises head-on. What the Tinubu administration has offered Nigerians, however, is a steady parade of optics devoid of substance.

The Nation is Burning, Yet Leadership Remains Distant. The kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls in Kebbi State is not an isolated tragedy; it is part of an entrenched pattern of violence born from years of weak security architecture. According to the UNICEF 2024 Nigeria Education Safety Report, more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been abducted in northern Nigeria since 2014. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2024 identifies Nigeria as the 8th MOST TERROR-IMPACTED nation in the world, a decline from its earlier ranking but still a staggeringly high position for Africa’s SUPPOSED giant.

In this context, President Tinubu’s cancelled trip falls flat. It does not address the root of the insecurity crisis. It does not inspire confidence. It does not change the fact that 25 innocent schoolgirls remain missing, their families plunged into grief, uncertainty and fear.

Instead, what Nigerians received was a symbolic gesture; what American political theorist Dr. David Easton once termed “the politics of attention without the politics of solution.”

If the Presidency disagrees with the assertion that this is mere tokenism, then let it prove otherwise:
Let President Tinubu temporarily relocate to Kebbi and other conflict zones in the North.
Let him walk the streets where blood has been spilled.
Let him face the parents whose children were taken under his watch.
Let him demonstrate what leadership looks like in times of trial. Anything less is political theatre.

Leadership is Proven on the Frontlines, Not Inside the Villa. History honours leaders who stand with their people in times of peril. During World War II, Winston Churchill famously declared, “I must up and doing-standing firm with my people in the darkest hour.” He walked through bombed-out London streets, inspiring courage that outlived him.

On the African continent, Nelson Mandela repeatedly emphasised that “a leader must be prepared to give up everything for the freedom and safety of his people.”

President Tinubu, however, remains ensconced within the safety of the Presidential Villa while ordinary Nigerians are slaughtered, kidnapped or forced to flee their communities.

The contrast is jarring. The optics are damning. And the symbolism is hollow.

If a political crisis broke out, such as the Rivers State controversy earlier this year, President Tinubu would deploy negotiations, resources, intelligence networks, emissaries and even questionable state powers to restore political control.

But when the blood of children is involved, when families are destroyed, the response suddenly becomes gentle, symbolic and empty.

The APC’s Governance Model: Deny, Deflect, Distract. The pattern under the APC-led administration is now unmistakable:

Deny the scale of insecurity

Deflect responsibility

Distract the public with symbolic gestures

From the excuses surrounding fuel subsidy removal chaos, to the controversial foreign trips, to the ongoing collapse in purchasing power as confirmed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the government’s instinct has been defensive rather than reformative.

When 121 students were abducted in Kaduna in March 2024, the government promised decisive action. Today, many remain unaccounted for.

When bandits sacked communities in Niger, Benue and Zamfara, government spokespersons issued standard press releases condemning the attacks and nothing more.

When farmers in Plateau were massacred on Christmas Eve 2023, the Presidency pledged “RENEWED RESOLVE.” Yet attacks have continued into 2024 and 2025.

As Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, a respected political scientist, stated in a 2024 security symposium in Abuja: “Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of policies but the absence of political will to enforce them.”

This absence of political will is what makes Tinubu’s trip cancellation both predictable and meaningless.

Insecurity Has Become Part of Nigeria’s Daily Vocabulary. The recent attacks in Kwara State serve as a grim reminder that insecurity is not a northern problem, it is a Nigerian problem. In the last 18 months alone, the following tragedies have unfolded:

Over 4,300 Nigerians killed in violent attacks (ACLED Data, 2024).

More than 7,800 kidnappings recorded nationwide (SBM Intelligence).

Over 3 million displaced persons, predominantly in the North (International Organization for Migration, 2024).

These numbers are not mere statistics. They are a reflection of the lived reality of Nigerians who sleep with one eye open and pray that bandits, terrorists or unknown gunmen do not strike before dawn.

As Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o once said,
“A nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens has forfeited the moral right to govern.” This is the tragic threshold Nigeria continues to approach under the APC-led government.

A Nation Cannot Be Saved by Optics. A cancelled trip to South Africa and Angola does nothing to:

Improve intelligence gathering

Strengthen border security

Restore morale among troops

Rescue abducted children

Stop bandit financing networks

Reform the broken policing system

Restore confidence in national leadership

Nigeria does not need presidential theatrics. It needs a leader ready to confront danger, not one who stands afar issuing statements.

Leadership is action—not ANNOUNCEMENT.
Leadership is sacrifice—not SYMBOLISM.
Leadership is presence—not PERFORMANCE.

Anything short of this will continue to erode the credibility of a Presidency struggling to command public trust.

Nigerians Are Tired of Tokenism. Enough of platitudes. Enough of condolences. Enough of optics. Enough of “we condemn this attack.” Enough of “the President has cancelled his trip.” The Nigerian people demand serious, sustained and tangible actions:

A national security overhaul

Real reforms within the police and military

Decentralised community policing

Cutting off the financial networks of bandits and terrorists

Holding governors accountable for security lapses

Presidential presence in conflict zones; not aloofness in Abuja

As the late Chinua Achebe wisely noted:
“A leader who does not listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” Nigeria is rapidly approaching that point.

Ultimate Assessment: Rise to the Occasion or Step Aside. The safety of Nigerians cannot be reduced to a political drama staged for international cameras. It cannot be managed through symbolism, optics, or cancelled trips.

This nation demands seriousness—not SYMBOLISM.

If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu truly wishes to write his name in the book of honour, he must:

Leave the Villa

Stand with the people

Reclaim the nation from agents of terror

Demonstrate courage worthy of the office he holds

And if he cannot, he must make way for those who can.

Nigeria deserves no less.
Nigeria demands far more.
Nigeria cannot survive on tokenism.

Ikire Agog As ADC Inaugurates Party Structures In Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency

• We Are Out To Restore Good Governance, ensure better welfarist programs – Aregbesola
• ⁠Says Nigerians Will Reject Bad Leadership In 2026/27

The ancient town of Ikire was agog on Thursday as the train of the federal constituency tour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan stopped in the town.

From the popular Naira and Kobo junction to the Obada market to the Akire’s palace through Sango, residents of the town trooped out to show love, solidarity and support to the leadership of the party led by the National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Addressing party faithfuls and supporters at Isale Abata, Ikire, Aregbesola lauded them for their steadfastness and dedication to the course.

The former Minister of Interior, who recalled efforts by true progressives to install a successor from his former party, noted that the time had come for the people of the state to follow a political movement led by people of conscience, character and integrity.

He also stressed that the ADC is committed to bridging the inequality gap by introducing welfarist policies that will ease the current economic downturn.

“You all know how we got here. We did not just join ADC as a party; but we teamed up with key players in our polity who are also ready to correct the current height of misgovernance by those who control the corridors of power.

“It is our belief that with the current state of the nation’s economy, ravaging insecurity and terrorism, as well as the dearth of quality leadership across all sectors, the masses are more than ready to use their votes to reject a government that has neglected their welfare for pecuniary political gains,” Aregbesola stated further.

In their separate remarks, former SSG – Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Chairman, Omoluabi Progressives, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji, former Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Dr. Najeem Salaam, among others, reiterated the need for party members to participate actively in the ongoing membership registration.

They also stressed the need for members to actively mobilise and educate other citizens on the need to correct the lapses of the present administration by voting the ADC in the 2026 governorship election in the state as well as the 2027 General Elections.

The team had earlier visited the Akire of Ikire, Oba Olatunde Falabi Lambeloye III, who offered his royal blessings for the success of the new political journey.

Some of the dignitaries at the event include Senator Adelere Oriolowo, Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile, Hon. Ademola Owoade, among others.