Journal of African Migrations

The Emerging Digital Realities and Implication for Fair Recruitment in Nigerian Media Industry

2023-12-31T22:58:53+01:00

The increasing application of new digital technologies in the media industry has been radically changing the landscape of that sector, transforming values and practices within it. This transformation, inevitably, has also been felt regarding how human labour is treated
in that sector. Against this backdrop, this chapter focuses on the effect of the new digital realities on fair recruitment in the Nigerian media sphere. It argues that these emerging realities are increasingly compromising fair recruitment principles as espoused in relevant ILO instruments especially the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998, as amended in 2022) and the General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs (2019). This is
especially in relation to clarity of recruitment terms, fair reward for the employee, workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining, forced or compulsory labour, discrimination in employment and occupation, safe and healthy working environment, and
proper equipping of the worker with the necessary working tools. The chapter, however, concludes that strict enforcement of domestic labour laws and regulations would, to a reasonable extent, result in realization of fair recruitment in the Nigerian media industry
even in the face of the new digital realities that are redefining practices and values in the sector.

A Legal Appraisal of Labour Migration and Fair Recruitment in Nigeria

2023-12-31T23:08:58+01:00

Labour migration is largely a foremost global issue cutting across most countries in the world today Labour migration basically involves recruitment of migrant workers in the various countries of destination and transit or within their country but outside their
original place of residence. Labour migration strategies which include promotion of fair recruitment is top in the agenda of states, including Nigeria, as it became imperative in order to protect migrant workers from violation of their human rights and welfare and for
the mitigation of the adverse effects of labour migration. This paper critically discusses fair recruitment practices in the recruitment of labour migrants as a national and international concern and examines the legal measures in place in Nigeria on the subject. Findings reveal that incidences of unfair recruitment practices abound in the face of increased labour migration in Nigeria. Labour Migrant rights protection activism and implementation of policies and laws are advocated.

Fair Recruitment and Forced Labour: An Evaluation of Migrant Workers’ Experiences

2023-12-31T23:20:43+01:00

International Labour Organization (ILO) and directorates of employment of various countries have mapped out strategies that would enhance fair recruitment exercise between recruiters and potential migrant workers. However, some recruiters take advantage of migrant workers' experiences and economic hardship to deny them their rights and privileges. This paper, adopting the content analysis approach of the qualitative research method, evaluates the video content that showcases some of the traumatic experiences of migrant workers who thought before leaving their countries of origin that their new work environment would meet their needs and aspirations. Also the researcher utilized survey design of quantitative research methodology to ascertain the level of awareness created so far in the public to intimate the masses about the rudiments of fair and unfair recruitment exercises. Majority of the respondents are Nigerians. One of the objectives of this survey is to sample the opinions of some workers who engage in internal
or inter-state migrations across Nigeria, and to evaluate their experiences about fair and unfair recruitments. The population of the survey is 50 participants who filled an online Microsoft Form that contained the questions of the survey. The researcher discovered that
there are traces of forced labour from the video content evaluated in this study. Answer to question number 8, from the survey conducted also reveals that 32 respondents, representing 65% of the population have not heard about Fair recruitment, as such, there
is a need for ILO to create more awareness on the tenets of fair recruitment and the rights of migrant workers. The researcher further recommends that more campaigns should be carried out through the secondary schools and tertiary institutions, media and social media platforms, by organizing or instituting short- and long-term courses, and sensitization programmes for prospective migrant workers.

Japa Syndrome, Fair Recruitment and The Exploitation of Labour Migrants: Navigating the Corridors of Skilled Work Migration In NIGERIA

2023-12-31T23:35:13+01:00

“Japa” has become the new phenomenon among the middle class in Nigeria, heralding a mass exodus of individuals and families on a daily basis from their country of origin to destination countries in search of job opportunities amongst others. Many intending migrants have embraced the option of the skilled work migration platform which is easily available through referrals, the internet and personal contacts. Recent cases of extortion, exploitation and unfair recruitment of Nigerian migrant workers by recruitment agencies
have begun to raise concerns as to the complicities of the different actors who are in one way or the other involved in the skilled workers migration programs in Nigeria. This is because despite the barrage of controversies that have arisen from the skilled workers
migration programs, not much have been done to ameliorate the plight of victims and stop the continued exploitation of Nigerian labour migrants who are often issued skilled work visas for non-existent jobs in the United Kingdom and other destination countries. The concern comes with the eventual exploitation arising from deceit and unfair recruitment processes that throw supposed migrant employees into a mire of uncertainties and hardship in the event of abandoning everything that constitutes the reality of their lives in
Nigeria to destination countries, with the expectation of improved remunerations and better working conditions. The research employs the content analysis approach in interrogating the issues raised in the Sky News’ investigative documentary video on employment/visa scam being exerted on labour migrants in the UK, as well as data from an open -ended survey questionnaire administered to migration stakeholders in Nigeria to inquire into the controversies of skilled work migration arising from unfair and deceitful recruitment exercises by dubious agencies that facilitate migrant skilled work recruitment exercises in Nigeria. Implementation of the fair recruitment standards are recommended for improved migration processes and work conditions.

Psychosocial Implications of Fair Recruitment Initiative: Lessons from Nigeria Intervention Projects.

2023-12-31T23:47:23+01:00

Safe, orderly and regular labour migration are the common watch-words that are necessary to understand the need for fair recruitment in this era where modern information technology has made all sorts of practices (negative and positive) easy. The fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) document and the General Principles and Operational Guidelines (GPOG) have set standards which have guided countries to develop specific policies that can promote fair recruitment. A pertinent query has been whether the FRI pillars, the GPOG and national documents contain enough policies that can protect the psychosocial well-being of labour migrants. The present article reviewed the psychosocial components of some selected national and international labour standards. The results showed that all the reviewed documents have components that provided rules and guidelines that ensure protection of the psychosocial domain of the labour migrants. It was recommended that some of the national documents require revision to accommodate and clarify some major issues such as recruitment fees. Also, there is need for more information dissemination so that more labour migrants could learn about their rights and thus use the knowledge to protect their psychosocial well-being.