In a landmark move aimed at enhancing labour rights, promoting responsible business practices, and improving Nigeria’s ease of doing business, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) on Tuesday signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja.
The signing ceremony, held at CISLAC headquarters, brought together top officials from both organisations, including NECA Director-General Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde and CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani.
The MoU marks a pivotal collaboration between organised business and civil society, highlighting a shared commitment to transparent governance, sustainable economic growth, and improved labour standards.
Speaking during the event, Oyerinde described the partnership as “a strategic turning point for Nigeria’s socio-economic future.”
He emphasised that NECA’s mission to champion enterprise sustainability, economic growth, and decent work aligns closely with CISLAC’s mandate of advocating transparency, accountability, and civil rights protection.
“While some view the private sector and civil society as operating in separate spheres, we recognise a profound shared interest.
A business cannot thrive in an unstable or opaque environment. Similarly, citizens deserve good governance just as enterprises require a conducive ecosystem to flourish,” Oyerinde said.
The NECA Director-General outlined key focus areas for the partnership, including labour rights enforcement, policy advocacy, taxation reforms, climate action, gender equality, and ethical corporate governance.
“This collaboration will leverage both organisations’ strengths in research, advocacy, and network-building to drive sustainable growth and social welfare.
It represents a holistic approach to economic and social development,” he added.
Rafsanjani described the MoU as “a covenant of trust” between employers, civil society, and Nigerian workers.
He underscored the undervaluation of Nigeria’s workforce, pointing out that teachers, health workers, and farmers continue to sustain the economy under challenging conditions.
“For decades, Nigerian workers have borne the burden of national growth, yet their contributions have often gone unrecognised.
Labour is not a commodity; workers deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity.
This partnership ensures that their rights are protected while fostering a productive and inclusive business environment,” Rafsanjani stated.
The CISLAC Executive Director highlighted the partnership’s commitment to evidence-based policies, social protection, climate-conscious practices, and corporate accountability.
He emphasised that empowering workers strengthens employers, and in turn, fuels Nigeria’s broader economic renaissance.
The MoU also seeks to address Nigeria’s complex employment landscape, where underemployment and informal work continue to trap millions in precarious conditions despite official unemployment figures.
Through structured dialogue and collaborative initiatives, NECA and CISLAC aim to create actionable strategies that balance enterprise growth with social equity and worker protection.
Both organisations agreed that the partnership would serve as a model for public-private-civil society collaboration, demonstrating that coordinated action can drive meaningful transformation.
The three-year framework includes joint advocacy campaigns, research projects, policy consultations, and training programmes aimed at promoting decent work, transparency, and ethical business practices.
The agreement has been widely welcomed by labour unions, industry experts, and economic analysts, who view it as a critical step toward achieving sustainable development, improved industrial relations, and enhanced investor confidence in Nigeria.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with economic challenges, the NECA-CISLAC partnership exemplifies the potential of strategic collaboration to foster social justice, economic growth, and a thriving workforce, reinforcing the principle that when businesses, civil society, and workers thrive together, the nation prospers as a whole.