ILO, Nigeria collaborate on trade test certifications

The International Labour has said it would be engaging the Nigerian government, workers’ unions and social partners on how migrants can get trade test certifications to enable them to get jobs easily when they travel overseas.

This was disclosed by the ILO Project Coordinator, Celestine Okeke, during a communication and visibility programme in Lagos, on how migrants could easily reintegrate into society and gain employment.

According to him, the trade test, which is recognised globally for skill certification, is important to help migrants gain jobs whenever they travel.

Okeke said, “When a person migrates out of the country safely, he can find a job. It is when he finds a job that he can contribute to the economy of the country he is going to and returning to.”

He recommended that Nigerians interested in migrating should utilise the Migration Resource Centre (MRC) to obtain accurate information about the necessary skills required in their destination country.

He said, “During irregular routines, it is common to find people without formal education or degrees migrating for work. However, even those with degrees often struggle to adapt to foreign work systems. Possession of a trade test certificate can facilitate obtaining jobs overseas, even for those with limited education.”

According to the Programme Director of Patriotic Citizen Initiatives, Osita Osemene, ILO desires a reintegration process that is not limited to just one aspect but takes into consideration all aspects and factors involved.

He said the essence was to bring all stakeholders to achieve a sustainable approach, adding that everyone should identify his areas of strength and works together to achieve the same goal.

The Assistant Director of the National Directorate of Employment, Mary Ndirapaya, advocated for a regulatory agency that would provide a platform for people in the informal and formal sectors who are seeking to enhance their educational qualifications to obtain the National Board Technical certification.

She frowned at the current situation where multiple organisations introduce diverse certification programmes,

She, however, argued that no single institution can provide all the requisite skills training in Nigeria, given the country’s vast population.

The Head of the Skills Development and Certification Department, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Tiza Shaakaa, noted that the trade test is a qualification in the informal sector.

He said, “Trade test is at the international level while the formal sector is UNESCO. They handle formal education. That is why AUC and MBT are controlled by the Federal Ministry of Education, while we regulate apprenticeships.

“CAP 198, sections 49 to 53 give us authority to regulate, control, enforce the standard, attest and certify apprenticeship in Nigeria and that is what is applied to all other countries.”