The federal government has unveiled a plan to expand social protection to more than 60 million Nigerians working in the informal sector.
The minister of labour and employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during a national dialogue focused on extending social protection to informal economy workers.
The event was hosted by the ministry in partnership with the International Labour Organisation.
Mr Dingyadi said the administration is working with major social protection institutions to roll out mobile health insurance and micro-pension schemes aimed at millions of informal sector workers.
He noted that at least 60 million Nigerians operating in markets, farms, transport hubs and small workshops currently lack basic social safety measures.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s resolve to close this gap by leveraging technology-driven systems.
“Our goal is to extend social protection to all Nigerians, especially the most excluded,” he stressed.
He explained that ongoing efforts include expanding the reach of the National Health Insurance Authority and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund to informal workers through mobile platforms designed for simple and flexible use.
The minister also highlighted that the micro-pension plan, implemented by PENCOM and the National Bureau of Statistics, is expected to increase pension inclusion across the country.
According to him, pilot programmes developed with the ILO, UNICEF and the World Bank are already testing community-based insurance models that can be scaled nationwide.
He called on participants to develop a national implementation framework.
He emphasised that the dialogue should not end with “communiqués that gather dust,” but with actionable targets, clear financing plans and strong stakeholder commitment.
Vanessa Phala, the ILO country director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, said social protection is both a human right and an economic imperative.
Ms Phala, represented by Shailendra Kumar, the ILO’s special technical advisor, said it plays a key role in reducing poverty, exclusion and inequality while strengthening social cohesion.
She pointed out that many informal workers fall within the 85.2 per cent of Nigerians who lack adequate social protection, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach to expand coverage.
“The ILO will continue supporting Nigeria’s efforts.
“Extending legal coverage and strengthening financing mechanisms are crucial for building a universal social protection system,” she said.
The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, Bernard Doro, said informal workers continue to grapple with unstable income, limited insurance access and vulnerability to economic shocks.
The minister, represented by Peter Audu, a deputy director in the ministry, said the dialogue offered an opportunity to design workable solutions to these challenges.
He affirmed the ministry’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which places a priority on poverty reduction and social inclusion.
Mr Doro said ongoing collaboration with states, development partners and civil society would help improve coordination.
He added that the dialogue would contribute to reforms aimed at creating an inclusive, shock-responsive social protection framework.
The director-general of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, described the engagement as timely and essential to extending protection to the country’s extensive informal workforce.
Mr Oyerinde, represented by Thompson Akpabio from NECA’s Abuja Liaison Office, said the association is prepared to support the initiative.
He added that utilising existing associations could help deliver safety nets to informal workers without undermining standards or product quality.
