The Nigerian Senate has approved the Informal Sector Employment (Regulation) Bill, 2025, aiming to provide legal protection and formal recognition for domestic workers, apprentices, interns, and other informal sector employees.
The approval followed the presentation and adoption of the report from the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity at Wednesday’s plenary session.
Senator Diket Plang, the committee chairman, noted that the bill was sponsored by Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger).
The legislation seeks to document, regulate, and safeguard informal sector workers from abuse and exploitation, addressing growing concerns over assaults, mistreatment, and under-compensation in domestic and apprenticeship work.
“The Bill is designed to protect workers from practices such as slave labor, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and unfair treatment, while ensuring they receive proper remuneration,” Senator Plang explained.
The bill also incorporates provisions from the Domestic Workers Convention 2011 (No. 189), a global treaty encouraging governments to shield domestic workers from violence and exploitation.
The bill also it mandates regulation of private employment agencies involved in recruiting domestic workers and includes measures to prevent child labor in informal employment.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will be responsible for implementing the new law, ensuring that informal sector workers are formally recognised, fairly treated, and legally protected.
After deliberations, the Senate adopted the bill and passed it for third reading, marking a significant step toward formalising Nigeria’s informal labor sector.
