Facilitating decent work: the case of domestic workers in Nigeria

Abstract

A decade after the first international standard regulating domestic work was introduced decent work remains a challenge for domestic workers in Nigeria. Within the framework of ILO’s Convention on Domestic Workers 189 of 2011, this article explores the extent to which domestic workers in Nigeria benefit from legal protection. The article argues that although parts of Nigerian labour law are relevant to domestic workers, there is need for the development of regulation which gives full effect to the provisions of the convention. The country’s de facto exclusion of domestic workers from the national minimum wage and social protection laws as well as regulatory gaps in dealing with safety in the workplace remains problematic for domestic workers. Against this background, this article suggests the development of a regulatory model which would facilitate the achievement of decent work Nigerian domestic workers.