Employment 2025

NIGERIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Adedapo Tunde-Olowu, Ugonna Ogbuagu, Adejumoke Ademola and Miebi Abere, ǼLEX

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Nigeria’s Employment Law Landscape in 2025: Quiet Evolution, Global Ambition Nigeria’s employment law in 2025 is not standing still – it is quietly but steadily reshaping itself to meet the realities of a changing workplace. A careful blend of statutory reform, global labour standards and regula - tory tightening is being seen, all moving towards a more modern and responsive system. Recent milestones tell the story: the National Minimum Wage Amendment Act 2024 has both increased the wage floor and shortened the review cycle, creating more predictable upward adjustments. The Informal Sector Employment Agents (Registration & Licens - ing) Bill aims to bring structure to Nigeria’s vast infor - mal workforce (one of the largest in Africa) while the Revised National Employment Policy 2025 refreshes the country’s employment blueprint to reflect inter - national labour norms and the realities of the mod- ern workplace. Even regulators, such as the National Pension Commission, have stepped up enforcement, tightening pension compliance across the board. On the judicial front, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria continues to play an active role in shaping the workplace of tomorrow. Its progressive decisions (often in line with international practice) are steadily expanding the interpretation of employee rights and employer duties, ensuring that the law keeps pace with the shifting nature of work. The picture that emerges is one of quiet but deliberate transformation. Nigeria’s labour framework is moving

towards greater alignment with global best practices while grappling with uniquely local challenges. The fol - lowing sections explore these developments in more detail, unpacking both their practical and strategic implications for employers and their advisers. Statutory and Regulatory Trends The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 Following extensive negotiations and agreement between the Nigerian federal government and labour unions, the National Minimum Wage Amendment Act 2024 was enacted in July 2024. This amendment increased the minimum wage from the previous sum of NGN30,000 to NGN70,000, and reduced the statu - tory review cycle from five to three years; the new minimum wage was to apply retroactively from 1 May 2024. This long-awaited amendment better aligns wages with inflationary trends and the rising cost of living in Nigeria. The Informal Sector Employment Agents (Registration & Licensing) Bill The proposed Informal Sector Employment Agents (Registration & Licensing) Bill addresses the absence of structured legal protection for informal workers engaged through non-standard recruitment chan - nels. The Bill also introduces licensing requirements for employment agents, operational guidelines, and penalties for non-compliance with labour standards.

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