Nigeria lacks law on househelp rights’ abuses – NIALS

The Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Epiphany Azinge has said Nigeria lacked effective legislative framework to protect the rights of househelps in the country.
Prof. Azinge stated this at a colloquium on the regulation of househelp exploitation in Abuja. He said: “There is no law to fight househelp related abuses. The issue is heart-wrenching and should be out rightly condemned”.

He explained further that the problem of househelp in the country is an inbuilt discrimination in the society which is also known as modern day slavery. “So many people have benefitted from the menace. There are people whose main job in the crime is to serve as agents. These househelps are even found in churches, and they are neither well-dressed nor well-fed. It is absolutely unacceptable”, Prof. Azinge emphasized.
In a lead paper presentation, NIALS research fellow, Miss Jane Ezirigwe said: “Section 59 of the Labour Act allows a child to be employed by a family member but that such a child’s rights should be protected by the Minister of Justice”.
She however lamented the absence of an enabling law on the protection of the rights househelps in the country. Miss Ezirigwe noted that they are often under paid and overworked.

Contributing to the discussion, Prof. Ngozi Ugo said: “Househelp syndrome is a systemic failure of the society; where essential facilities are not in place. This has made people to rely solely on manual labour in form of househelps.
The NIALS Professor and research fellow further said: “There is no legislation on househelp syndrome in Nigeria. The Nigerian Child lives in misery; it is not enough for us to ratify international conventions on child labour, we should domesticate them in Nigeria”, Prof. Ugo advised.
According to Prof. Dakaas .C.J Dakaas, “We need to acknowledge the fact that people should not be exploited because they are working as househelps”.
He called for an institutional capacity to implement the enabling laws that would protect the rights of househelps in the country.