Labour group urges FG to provide social protection, relief for informal sector workers

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja Abuja – Workers in Nigeria’s informal sector have called on the Federal Government to introduce social protection and relief measures to improve living and working conditions for millions of Nigerians outside formal employment. The demand was made on Wednesday by the Federation of Informal Workers Organizations of Nigeria (FIWON) during a rally in Abuja. Speaking at the event, FIWON General Secretary Gbenga Komolafe said informal workers—including traders, artisans, domestic workers, mechanics, and vendors—make up over 93% of Nigeria’s active workforce and contribute at least 65% to the national GDP. Yet, he noted, they remain largely excluded from social protection schemes such as pensions, healthcare, and workplace safety coverage. Komolafe highlighted that while a micro-pension scheme exists under the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), it has not yielded meaningful benefits due to low contributions and inflation eroding savings. He urged the government to introduce a matching contribution system to make pensions more attractive and sustainable for informal workers. He also called for government-supported healthcare measures, including subsidised insurance and free services for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Komolafe linked poor healthcare access among informal workers to high maternal and infant mortality rates. In addition, he advocated for extending workplace protection laws to informal workers, noting that many who suffer injuries on the job receive no support. Blessing Yusuf, Chairperson of FIWON’s FCT chapter, described social protection as a fundamental right, not charity, emphasizing that informal workers face challenges including lack of health insurance, housing, and income security. FIWON submitted a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, calling for the inclusion of informal sector workers in ongoing social protection reforms. The group demanded government-backed pensions, subsidised healthcare, free services for vulnerable populations, and protection against workplace hazards. The organisation said that strengthening social protection for informal workers would help reduce poverty, promote national stability, and ensure equitable economic participation.