Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has urged the United Arab Emirates to activate the process of legal migration of skilled Nigerian middle level workers into the country under the International Labour Migration guidelines.
Ngige stated this in Abuja when the UAE’s ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Mahmood Mohammed Almahmood, paid him a condolence visit on the death of the late minister of state for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi.
He said: “In consonance with the spirit of the relationship which exists between our two countries, and which President, Muhammadu Buhari has further bolstered with his recent official visit to the United Arab Emirates and considering the series of agreements signed in the areas of trade, economic development, investment and industry as well as in legal cooperation among others, my ministry wishes to request that you activate the process of labour migration and employment into the UAE for skilled Nigerian workers.”
“It is our desire to export skilled middle level workers, whether they are carpenters, bricklayers, tillers, painters etc. We want to export them officially under the International Labour Migration Organisation guidelines just like we are trying to do with Qatar. No doubt, we have high skilled Nigerian professionals like engineers, medical doctors, nurses and others already in your country but we want to push people from the middle cadre who have blue collar skills.”
Amb. Mahmood Mohammed assured that the UAE would cooperate with Nigeria in the promotion of trade and employment.