Decent Work and Economic Growth under Nigerian Labour and Industrial Relations

Abstract

The concept of decent work and economic growth which is the 8th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations is set to serve as a catalyst in the field of labour and industrial relations by year 2030. The aim of this goal is to ensure that policies geared towards social protection of workers is held in utmost importance. There was no better time to have set the wheels of this goal into motion other than now following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has served as a threat to job creation and existence globally. The concept of decent work to other global climes could mean a simple amendment in their existing labour legislation but for a country like Nigeria, it is a different narrative. This work focuses on the viability of the concept of decent work under the existing Nigerian labour legislation while also examining the state of the Nigerian economy on the other hand in other to catch a better glimpse of the twin concept of the 8th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations. This work suggests the fact that the United Nations should have adopted decent work and economic development rather than economic growth because economic development has a much more reaching impact positively on the people rather than economic growth which is more concerned on the national income.