The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has reiterated his position that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) is vital in the socio-industrial stability and economic development of Nigeria.
Fagbemi stated this during the opening of a two-day training on proceedings of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the importance of the court is further highlighted by the constitutional mandate of the court in adjudicating disputes arising from the utilization of labour, which is one of the main factors of production.
The AGF also noted the role of the court in challenging the borders of interpretation of the public service rules, government circulars, tenure policy in the public service, recruitment, remuneration, pension, termination, etc.
“The role of the NICN is therefore critical to our national interest, as it has the responsibility not only to resolve labour disputes but to shape the environment in which workers and employers can co-exist productively,” he said.
He assured that apart from the provision of palliatives, wage awards and the recent increment of the national minimum wage, the President Bola Tinubu administration will continue to engage labour unions and prioritise workers’ welfare.
In his presentation titled: ‘Evolution of National Industrial Court of Nigeria’, the president of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip noted that although there are contentions over the court with the jurisdiction to hear labour-related matters, the constitution and international conventions signed by Nigeria gives the NICN the powers.
He also criticised plans to place labour matters on the concurrent list as a breach of Nigeria’s membership of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention.
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