Advancing Rights-Based Labour Migration Through Trade Union Partnerships
Trade unions are important partners in the area of migration management, ensuring that the labour and human rights of all categories of workers are protected. They can also serve as the first point of contact for labour migrants, as well as provide information for Nigerian workers making career transitions to work abroad.
Through the ACTION project, Germany, through GIZ and its partner, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), has supported the Nigerian Labour Congress to develop a labour migration policy ( document at the bottom of the page), establish a migration advisory desk, and organise joint events to mainstream labour mobility issues and promote the rights of migrating people to decent work. ACTION stands for Action for Improving Labour Migration Governance in Nigeria, which is the project’s full title.
The establishment of a migration desk at the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress is a major achievement of the project. With the project’s support, the desk subsequently published a migration policy document that outlines the union’s strategy to protect migrant workers and support international efforts with similar objectives.
GIZ-“Centres for Migration and Development" (ZME) project has collaborated with the International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa) and participated in the annual conferences of the African Trade Union Migration Network (ATUMNET) since 2022. ATUMNET, as a platform, provides trade unions in Africa with a structure to strengthen advocacy for fair and rights-based labour migration while protecting the rights and dignity of migrant workers across the continent.
ZME Nigeria is also in advanced discussions with ITUC-AFRICA to expand cooperation towards a partnership that strengthens ITUC’s work in supporting trade unions within ECOWAS and the African Union to develop labour migration strategies, provide information services for prospective migrants, and build networks with key stakeholders.
In August 2025, the ZME project partnered with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria’s Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) to commemorate International Youth Day. Hundreds of young trade union members attended the event to hear a keynote address and panel discussions on issues relating to the rights of young people on the move globally.
The unfolding partnership between ZME in Nigeria and the trade unions is already strengthening union capacity, with significant potential for further impact. It also promises to create a lasting, cross-sector network that supports a unified approach to protecting vulnerable migrant workers.
Author: Oluwole Olubanji, Communication Advisor, ZME Programme, GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS