Alhaji Garba Abubakar, the Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has been conferred with the prestigious Fellowship of the National Labour Institute (fnli).
Mr Rasheed Mahe, CAC’s Head of Media, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the celebration took place at MINILS Headquarters in Ilorin.
He said the registrar-general was represented at the event by CAC’s Head of Public Affairs, Dominic Inyang.
He said Abubakar was honoured by the Michael Imodu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) for maintaining prevailing industrial harmony and prioritising workers’ welfare over the years.
“The honour is also in commemoration of the Institute’s 40th anniversary, where the fellowship award is conferred on a few individuals.
“The individuals awarded must have significantly contributed to industrial and labour relations practice.
“This is part of the Institute’s Professional Certification in Industrial and Labour Relations (PCILR).
According to Mahe, the 40th anniversary, or Founder’s Day (1983–2023) of the MINILS recognises the efforts of present-day labour leaders alongside past labour heroes who fought for workers’ welfare.
He said it also recognised present-day labour-friendly individuals and organisations that have maintained cordial industrial harmony in their agencies.
The Director-General/CEO of MINILS, Issa Aremu, said the Institute was repositioned to become a reputable place where African labour leaders and trainees would leverage its training potential.
Aremu said the Institute now offered degree programmes, a national diploma, entrepreneurial training, and a certificate on industrial relations and labour matters, amongst others.
He further said plans were underway to introduce long-distance learning programmes at the institute.
Commenting on the choice of the awardees, Aremu said the CAC boss and other recipients for the investiture of fellows of the national institute (fnil) had fulfilled the institute’s criteria.
He named some criteria to include promotion of a decent work agenda, labour friendliness, staff training, and capacity building.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dafe Otobo of the University of Lagos delivered the anniversary lecture titled: “Workers Education in Nigeria: Past, Present, and Future.”
Otobo said Nigeria’s labour law desperately needed extensive reform in line with global best practices.
The university don said the world was fast moving towards a modern workplace leveraging technology, hence the need for Nigeria to follow suit.
According to him, engagement and collaboration are key to enhancing employer-employee relationship, thus the need for both parties to keep abreast of modern labour policy and labour education for arbitration purposes.
NAN
