By Moses Akwashiki, Abuja
In a move to ensure protection of migrant workers and her families against exploration , the African Trade Union Migration Network (ATUMNET) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have demanded a stronger coordination of Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) to provide an improved access to information on fair recruitment, counselling, and support services.
Both ILO and ATUMNET believes that strengthening MRCs would help curb exploitation and improve protection for migrant workers across the continent.
The organisations at a three-day Regional workshop organised by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC-Africa, in partnership with the ILO, agreed that MRCs will ensure migration takes place with dignity
The workshop brought together migration stakeholders from across Africa, including migrant workers, to discuss ways of improving coordination among Migrant Resource Centres and addressing persistent migration challenges.
The ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone Dr
Vanessa Phala, noted that Migrant Resource Centres have become critical frontline institutions providing migrant workers and their families with information, counselling, legal referrals, protection services, and support throughout the migration cycle.
She explained that MRCs play an important role in promoting fair recruitment, safe migration pathways, and access to justice, while also helping migrant workers avoid trafficking, forced labour, and other forms of exploitation.
According to her, migrant workers across Africa continue to face numerous challenges, including poor working conditions, non-payment of wages, unsafe workplaces, weak social protection coverage, discrimination, and limited access to grievance mechanisms.
She further stated that many migrant workers are exposed to abusive recruitment practices and misinformation due to limited regular migration pathways and weak access to reliable support services.
“As labour mobility continues to rise across Africa, strengthening coordination among Migrant Resource Centres is essential to ensuring that migration takes place in conditions of dignity, safety and decent work,”
Dr. Phala added that despite progress recorded across the continent, many MRCs still face major challenges such as limited institutional coordination, inadequate resources, uneven service standards, weak referral systems, limited digitalisation, sustainability concerns, and increasing risks confronting migrant workers, including exploitation, forced labour, and abusive recruitment practices.
“Over the next three days, we have a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and peer learning among MRCs and key stakeholders across Africa. We aim to exchange practical experiences, identify good practices, discuss operational challenges, and explore innovative approaches that can improve the effectiveness, sustainability, gender-responsiveness and worker-centeredness of MRCs,”
In his welcome address, the General Secretary of ITUC- Africa Joel Odigie said African trade unions remain committed to developing practical and worker-centred solutions to the growing challenges facing migrant workers across the continent.
He stressed the need to strengthen coordination between trade union-run Migrant Resource Centres and government labour migration systems, noting that stronger institutional linkages would improve protection, access to information, and support services for migrant workers.
According to him, Africa’s migration realities require pragmatic and homegrown solutions rather than endless discussions without action.
“Africa does not have the luxury of lamenting endlessly about migration challenges. The real task before us is how to develop practical solutions and answers that respond to the realities facing workers across the continent,”
The ITUC-Africa General Secretary also emphasised that migrant workers should not be viewed merely as economic tools because they remain central contributors to Africa’s development and regional economies.
“Migrant men and women contribute immensely to Africa’s economy and development, but they are not commodities. Beyond the wealth they generate, they are human beings with rights, dignity and aspirations that must be protected,”
He further called for stronger rights-based migration governance systems capable of protecting migrant workers from exploitation, abusive recruitment practices, and unsafe working conditions.
Also speaking, the Director of Employment and Wages Department, Joseph Jonah Akpan said Migrant Resource Centres remain critical institutional platforms for promoting safe and regular migration across Africa.
Represented by Kabiru Muhammad from the Abuja MRC, the Director identified capacity building as a key priority, stressing that MRC personnel must continuously receive training on migration policies, labour market trends, and international labour standards to remain responsive to the changing realities of labour migration.
He also called for greater use of digital tools and reliable labour migration data to strengthen planning, transparency, and accountability within migration governance systems across Africa.
“Integrating MRC operations into broader Labour Market Information Systems (LMIS) will enhance evidence-based policymaking and improve transparency and accountability,” he said.
The Director further stressed the need for gender-responsive and inclusive approaches, particularly in protecting women and young migrant workers who often face heightened risks of exploitation and abuse during migration processes.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening labour migration governance, the Ministry stated that collaboration among African countries and regional partners would be critical to building sustainable systems capable of safeguarding the rights and dignity of migrant workers across the continent.
