Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1986
NIGERIA
President Ibrahim Babangida came to power in a military coup
on August 27, 1985, overthrowing the military government of
Major General Muhammadu Buhari that had seized power from
civilians in December 1983. A 28-member Armed Forces Ruling
Council (AFRC) is the main decisionmaking organ of the
Government, while a 22-member Federal Cabinet presides over
the Government's executive departments. Military governors,
appointed by the President and assisted by mixed military/
civilian executive councils, head Nigeria's 19 state
governments. The 1979 Constitution remains partially in
effect, but significant provisions, namely, those guaranteeing
free elections, the existence of political parties, and the
right to due process and habeas corpus, are suspended. The
Government has pledged to return the country to civilian rule
by 1990. The appropriate form and structure for a
postmilitary government was publicly debated during 1986.
Legislation at both the federal and state levels continues to
be promulgated by decree. All decrees are exempt from
challenge in the courts. The Government enforces its authority
through the federal security apparatus: the national police,
the military, and the State Security Service (SSS). No
separate law enforcement agencies exist at the state and local
levels .
Nigeria, with an estimated 100 million people, is Africa's
most populous country. It has a mixed economy in which the
Government plays a major but declining role in all important
sectors. On June 27, 1986, President Babangida announced a
major program of structural adjustment, featuring a Second-
tier Foreign Exchange Market (SFEM), which allows the supply
and demand of foreign exchange to determine the SFEM exchange
rate. With the introduction of the SFEM on September 26,
import licensing procedures, price controls, and many other
Government restrictions were liberalized or abolished to help
stimulate domestic production and employment, overcome public
sector inefficiencies, and increase nonoil exports.
In 1986 the Babangida Government continued to demonstrate a
commitment to restoring some of the human rights formerly
protected by the 1979 Constitution but seriously circumscribed
in 1984-85. Judicial commissions, appointed in late 1985,
reviewed the cases of all pending and conditionally released
detainees, as well as the cases of all persons convicted by
military tribunals, created under 1984 decrees, of corruption,
currency violations, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, and
petroleum smuggling. The AFRC generally upheld the
commissions' recommendations, confirming detainees' releases
or slating them for future trials, and releasing prisoners or
reducing their sentences. The AFRC also provided for judges
to head future special tribunals, established an appeal
procedure for all persons convicted by the tribunals, and
reduced penalties to make them more appropriate to the
offense. The death penalty was abolished for cases of people
convicted of oil smuggling and drug trafficking.
The Government in 1986 moved decisively against potential
violent opposition. Ten military officers were executed in
March for coup plotting in late 1985 following trial and
conviction by a special military tribunal. The officers had
access to legal defense counsel and exercised their right to
appeal their convictions. The Government also introduced
banning from political life as retribution for the misdeeds of
former politicians. In June 1986, President Babangida
announced that all former politicians would be excluded from
holding public office and participating in partisan politics
for 10 years following the resumption of political activity.
Former civilian President Shehu Shagari and his Vice President,
Alex Ekwueme, have been banned from politics for life. In June
the Government temporarily closed 20 institutions of higher
education and banned the leading student organization in the
wake of nationwide campus demonstrations protesting police
killings of at least 4 students during a student strike at a
northern university.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including
Freedom from:
a. Political Killing
There was no evidence of politically motivated killing in
Nigeria at government instigation in 1986. In October a letter
bomb killed the editor-in-chief of a weekly newsmagazine that
had published investigative articles on controversial topics
such as Nigerian involvement in drug trafficking and the
dismissal of a key government official. Speculation about the
incident includes unsubstantiated allegations of government
involvement. A government investigation is underway.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
There were no reports or allegations of torture. A portion of
the 1979 Constitution which is still in effect outlaws torture
and the mistreatment of prisoners. Nigerian law provides that
such excesses be dealt with in criminal or civil proceedings.
Prison conditions remain poor because of severe overcrowding
and insufficient funds for basic necessities. According to
unconfirmed newspaper reports, approximately 100 members of a
northern religious sect arrested following a 1984 uprising have
since died of hunger and malnutrition.
d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile
The Babangida Government has retained the authority to detain
persons suspected of acts prejudicial to state security or
harmful to the economic well-being of the country under
Decree 2 of 1984, the State Security (Detention of Persons)
Decree. This decree suspends the 1979 constitutional guarantee
of the right to habeas corpus and cannot be challenged in any
court of law. In response to public outcry, the Government
rescinded a 1986 amendment to Decree 2 that would have extended
the maximum initial detention period from 3 to 6 months and
given detention powers to the Inspector General of Police as
well as to the Chief of General Staff.
In June the Government detained leaders of the Nigeria Labor
Congress (NLC), some for up to 2 weeks, to head off a
nationwide labor demonstration called in sympathy with students
protesting the death of a number of students on a university
campus in northern Nigeria during confrontations with the
police in May. The Government also detained, and subsequently
released without prosecution, several members of the Academic
Staff Union of Universities while investigating their
involvement in the campus disturbances. In April newspapers
reported the detention of several unnamed former politicians.
In one known case, former National Assembly member Tanko
Yakassai was held by security officials for 31 days.
Speculation at the time connected his detention to an April 18
warning to former politicians to stop defying the 1984 ban on
political activity. Four of the soldiers acquitted in March
of coup plotting remained in custody afterwards for several
months despite their acquittals.
In 1986 a judicial panel headed by a Supreme Court judge
reviewed the cases of approximately 1,700 persons detained
under Decree 2 during the Buhari Administration (1984-85),
many of whom had already been released. A government white
paper published in July upheld most of the panel's
recommendations absolving many of the detainees of wrongdoing
and recommending others for formal charging and trial. Among
those absolved by the panel and released after publication of
the white paper were former President Shehu Shagari and Vice
President Alex Ekwueme, both held for 31 months without
charge. Both are now banned for life from political activity
and restricted to their local government areas. About 800 of
the former detainees, mainly former politicians and public
office holders, are to be prosecuted for corruption by a
special tribunal named in September under Decree 3, Recovery
of Public Property (Special Military Tribunal). Still in
detention without charge are former Head of State Muhammadu
Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Tunde Idiagbon.
No Nigerian has been exiled. Self-exiled politicians are free
to return home with the caveat that those suspected of crimes
will be subject to prosecution.
The Military Government does not use forced labor as a means of
political coercion or as a sanction against free expression.
Nigeria's 1979 Constitution provides that "no person shall be
required to perform forced or compulsory labor." The latter
excludes community service programs such as the National Youth
Service Corps and environmental clean up campaigns.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The 1984 decree modifying the 1979 Constitution left the
judiciary relatively unscathed, although special military
tribunals were established outside the regular judicial
system, notably for corruption cases. The judiciary is
composed of both federal and state courts and includes
procedures for appeals from state high courts to the Federal
Court of Appeals and to the Federal Supreme Court. There are
also constitutional provisions providing for the use of
Islamic and local tribal law in civil cases.
Provisions of the 1979 Constitution still in force guarantee
persons charged with crimes a fair public trial in civilian
courts within 3 months from the date of arrest. However,
cumbersome administrative procedures and inefficiency sometimes
result in prisoners being held for extended periods before
being charged or tried. During routine inspections of prisons
in 1986, High Court chief judges exercised their right to
release detainees found to have spent more time in prison than
they would have if they had been convicted for their alleged
crimes. Trials are public and adhere to constitutionally
guaranteed individual rights. In capital cases, the Government
provides counsel for indigent defendants. In other cases.
indigents must rely for counsel on the Nigerian Legal Aid
Society which has limited resources. In March the Government
amended the Legal Aid Act of 1976 to extend assistance to
persons with incomes up to approximately $500 per year at
current exchange rates.
The Babangida Government used a special military tribunal,
constituted under Decree 1 of 1986, to try 23 persons for
alleged complicity in a December 1985 coup plot. Ten persons,
all members of the armed forces, were sentenced to death and
executed in March. The tribunal acquitted six defendants and
gave others jail terms. Although their trial was held in
camera, the Government allowed military lawyers to defend the
accused, a judge-advocate to advise tribunal members on points
of law, and observers from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
and the Ministry of Justice to witness the trial. NBA
observers later stated that lengthy accreditation procedures
kept them from observing most of the trial. The observers
never made their observations public. Appeals to the chiefs
of the military services were denied, and the Armed Forces
Ruling Council (AFRC) upheld the convictions before sentences
were carried out.
The Buhari Government issued decrees that removed certain
crimes, including corruption crimes, from the jurisdiction of
the civilian judicial system to special military tribunals.
These decrees remain in effect. In keeping with its human
rights commitment, however, the present Government established
judicial review commissions composed of distinguished civilians
and military officials to conduct an extensive review in 1986
of detentions and convictions under these decrees. The AFRC
then amended the decrees to restore a measure of due process
to the extrajudicial procedures.
The commissions, acting essentially as appellate courts,
forwarded their findings to the AFRC which in most cases upheld
the panels' recommendations for release, acquittal, reduced
sentences, or future trial. While supporting reduced prison
terms for many former politicians convicted of corruption, the
AFRC frequently added a specified period of exclusion from
public office and involvement in partisan politics to the
convict's penalty. Following disposition of the cases under
review, the Government amended the 1984 decrees. Amendments
added an appeal procedure (through a Special Appeal Tribunal),
a guarantee that judges would head all tribunals, and abolished
the death sentence for a number of offenses. Recommendations
of the Special Appeal Tribunal are subject to confirmation by
the AFRC. With the change in the composition of the corruption
tribunals operating under the Buhari-era decrees, the Nigerian
Bar Association lifted its 1984 boycott of the corruption
trials which had been called in protest over the absence of
legally trained tribunal members. Future corruption trials —
nearly 800 cases are pending — may be conducted in public
rather than in camera. At the swearing in of two new
corruption tribunals in September, the officiating judge
cautioned the press to report accurately on the trials. At
the end of 1986, the reconstituted corruption tribunals had
heard only one of the pending cases.
On several occasions during 1986 the Babangida Government
reiterated its commitment to uphold the integrity of the
judiciary and to redress past judicial wrongs. On the ground
that there may have been a miscarriage of justice, the
Government dismissed a judge and released a popular jailed
musician who said the judge had later admitted privately to
convicting him for currency trafficking in 1984 under pressure
from government officials. The judge subsequently denied the
charge. This celebrated case had been regarded by some
observers as evidence of government interference with the
judiciary during the Buhari regime.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
Correspondence
Nigerian society is generally free of arbitrary interference
by the State in the private lives of its citizens. Provisions
of the 1979 Constitution still in force guarantee rights of
privacy in the home, correspondence, and communications.
General surveillance of the population by the State is not
practiced. Forced entry into homes without a warrant is not
generally permitted. Under the Buhari regime police and
members of the Nigerian Security Organization occasionally
entered homes and offices without a warrant when seeking
evidence in corruption cases. There is no political
enforcement of social, cultural, or religious codes.
Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The modified Nigerian Constitution continues to guarantee
freedom of expression and press. There was no evidence of
overt government censorship of the media in 1986, and
President Babangida granted a full pardon to two journalists
who had each spent 1 year in jail for conviction under an
abrogated 1984 decree that curtailed freedom to publish
information about government officials. Nevertheless,
government officials did appeal to journalists on several
occasions to be responsible in practicing their profession.
In at least two instances, the Government moved against
journalists considered to have overstepped government bounds.
In February a judicial panel charged and convicted a journalist
of contempt of court for writing a news magazine article
critical of the panel for its controversial ruling exonerating
former President Shehu Shagari and Vice President Alex Ekwueme
of wrong-doing and recommending their immediate release from
detention. The journalist appealed the conviction. A radio
journalist was detained briefly after making an erroneous
broadcast that the Voice of America had reported that Nigeria
was about to accept an International Monetary Fund loan, a
controversial domestic political issue.
The 1979 Constitution reserves to the Federal and state
governments the right to own and operate radio and television
stations. Nigeria has a lively press, and there are no
restrictions on ownership of print media. Among the vast
array of Nigerian daily newspapers are four privately owned
national dailies with large circulations, one daily owned by
the Federal Government, and another in which the Federal
Government owns a majority share. Some states operate their
own daily newspapers. In some states, privately owned dailies
compete with state papers. Four weekly news magazines vie for
national readership.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
Nigeria's 1979 Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful
assembly and association in trade unions and special interest
associations. The provision granting persons the right to
form or join political parties remains suspended. Decree 9 of
1984, still in force, dissolves all political parties and
authorizes the Government to dissolve any other group
considered to have objectives similar to those of a political
party. Frequently during 1986, governitient officials reminded
former politicians publicly that the ban on political activity
and organizing remains in effect. In June President Babangida
announced the exclusion of former political figures from
participation in partisan politics for a period of 10 years
from the resumption of political activity. All former national
and state elected and appointed government officials and
political party leaders from the 1979-1983 civilian era are
expected to be affected by the ban, although the Government
has already exempted one politician from the ban and indicated
that there may be other exceptions.
In January the Government lifted bans on the Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA) , the National Association of Residential
Doctors (NARD) and the National Union of Nigerian Students
(NUNS), an organization virtually supplanted during its 6-year
proscription by the National Association of Nigerian Students
(NANS) .
In June more than 20 institutions of higher education were
closed, and NANS was banned, in the wake of nationwide campus
demonstrations protesting the police killing of students during
student disturbances at Ahmadu Bello University in May. The
Government publicly stated that four persons died during those
disturbances. Accusations by the media that fatalities were
higher and that police abuses took place at Ahmadu Bello
University are unconfirmed. Following the events, members of
the mobile police unit which responded to the disturbances
were charged with culpable homicide and suspended pending an
investigation into their conduct. The results of the
investigation have not been made public. In December the
Minister of Education lifted a ban, in effect since June, on
student organizing on individual campuses.
Despite guarantees in the 1979 Constitution and Nigeria's
ratification of 28 International Labor Organization (ILO)
conventions, there are instances where government decrees and
policy continue to act to restrict labor freedoms. A 1978
decree created a single central labor body, the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), forcibly merged a number of unions into
42 industrial unions, and deregistered all other unions. The
Government has not responded to the 1982 ILO committee of
experts finding that this decree violates ILO Convention 87 on
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize,
to which Nigeria is a party. The 1978 decree also created
senior staff associations for white collar workers, which a
1986 decree explicitly excluded from NLC membership, forcing
two such associations to withdraw. Since 1975 government
policy has permitted international labor affiliation only with
the ILO and the Organization of African Trade Union Unity and
its affiliated Pan-African Labor Federations. In May the
Government prevented the African regional meeting of the
International Transport Worker's Federation (ITWF), an
affiliate of the International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions, from taking place in Lagos on grounds that the
membership of the local host union in the ITWF violated
government policy. Government policy does permit, however,
informal "fraternal relations" with foreign unions and
secretariats as long as there is no formal affiliation.
Although Nigeria's union leadership generally has been
democratically elected and independent of government control.
an exception occurred in October when the Government gave
state-appointed administrators temporary control of two unions
paralyzed by leadership disputes. The Government cited as its
authority the 1985 National Economic Emergency Decree which
granted the Government broad authority until December 1986 over
labor matters. Nigerian law and practice provide that the
terms and conditions of labor will be determined by collective
bargaining agreements between management and trade unions.
However, a national wage freeze imposed in 1984 remains in
effect. Wage cuts imposed by decree in 1985 on all public and
private sector employees, without regard to preexisting
contracts or union consultation requirements, to finance a
National Economic Recovery Fund were lifted in October. Some
categories of low-paid workers received a full refund of their
mandatory contribution.
The 1976 Trade Disputes Decree, which governs industrial
disputes, provides for mediation by an industrial arbitration
panel and a national industrial court and forbids strikes and
lockouts while disputes are under mediation by these bodies.
Although this decree has been applied in past disputes, it has
not always had the intended effect of curtailing strike
activity, as workers have often ignored it, and the Government
has not always enforced it. Workstoppages , numbering up to
several hundred a year during the 1979-1983 civilian era, were
rare in 1985 and 1986, reflecting both the weakened bargaining
position of unions because of depressed economic conditions
and the impact of warnings by the military Government that it
would not tolerate "industrial indiscipline."
All Nigerian workers 16 years or older may join trade unions,
with the exception of members of the armed forces and
designated employees in the essential government services
sector. Employers are obliged to recognize trade unions and
must pay a dues checkoff for employees who are members of a
registered trade union. Nevertheless, some unions, especially
small ones, are in serious financial difficulty following 4
years of depressed economic conditions. The establishment of
closed shops is prohibited.
c. Freedom of Religion
Constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of religious
belief, religious practice, and religious education are
generally respected throughout Nigeria. Reports continue
of harassment of Christians by state officials in the
predominately Muslim North through the imposition of excessive
bureaucratic requirements for church construction projects and
occasional refusal of permission to build. There are no
restrictions on numbers of clergy trained nor on contacts with
coreligionists in other countries. Religious travel, including
the Hajj, is permitted and in some cases officially supported.
Missionaries and foreign clergy, though limited by quotas, are
permitted to enter Nigeria. Some states require licenses for
religious services outside churches and mosques.
Tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities of
Nigeria surfaced in January when Nigeria became a member of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) . Christians,
who comprise an estimated one-third of Nigeria's population,
charged that the move contravened a constitutional provision
declaring Nigeria a secular state and demanded Nigeria's
complete withdrawal from the organization. Muslims, who
comprise about 45 percent of the population, argued that
Nigeria, with the largest Muslim population in black Africa,
should be a member of the organization and denied that
membership made Nigeria an Islamic state. Government promises
to retain Nigeria's multireligious character and the secular
status guaranteed by the Constitution failed to assuage
Christian fears, but Nigeria did not participate in any QIC
activities during the year. At the height of the tensions, in
a city with a large proportion of both Christians and Muslims,
Muslim blockage of an Easter procession of Christian worshipers
resulted in violence that left several persons injured and one
church damaged. The Government has proposed the formation of a
council on religious affairs to "regulate" religious matters.
Christian leaders oppose the idea of a council with regulatory
authority.
The 1982 ban on the Maitatsine religious sect remains in
effect. The group still exists, however, and is apparently
being closely monitored by the police. Police sporadically
announced arrests of "religious fanatics", probably references
to suspected members of the sect. Members of the group
arrested following the 1984 Maitatsine uprising in Gongola
State are still in custody. They may remain so indefinitely,
according to newspaper reports quoting the state's Attorney
General, for lack of witnesses willing to testify against them
in court. More than 100 have reportedly died of hunger and
malnutrition since their arrest.
d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign
Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation
Nigeria's Constitution entitles citizens to move freely
throughout Nigeria and to reside where they wish. The same
provision prohibits expulsion from Nigeria or the denial of
entry to or exit from Nigeria to any citizen. In general,
these provision have been observed. In April police announced
the restriction of public office holders from the civilian era
(1979-1983) to their states of origin or domicile and required
them to report to police commissioners within 24 hours,
surrender their passports and other travel documents, and
thereafter report to the police each Monday. Although a
number of former politicians complied with the order, others
did not, apparently without retribution. The order, which was
intended to control movements of former public officials
pending the outcome of on-going investigations, may have
become irrelevant in light of the July publication of the
government white papers disposing of the cases under review by
judicial panels.
Nigeria's land borders, closed since April 1984, were opened
in March. The Government announced in September that passport
validity will revert from 2 to 5 years. Nigerians travel
abroad in large numbers, and many thousands are studying
abroad. Exit visas are not required.
There has been no forced resettlement of Nigerian citizens.
Nigerian law and practice permit temporary refuge and asylum
in Nigeria for political refugees from other countries.
Nigeria supports and cooperates with the the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees who has an office in Lagos. No
known penalties have been levied on Nigerians who have
emigrated, settled abroad, or acquired another nationality.
However, Nigeria does not recognize dual nationality, and
naturalization in another country does not release Nigerians
from Nigerian laws.
Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens
to Change Their Government
The Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), a 28-member group of
military officers headed by President Babangida, is the highest
political authority in Nigeria and the principal decisionmaking
body in the Government. There is no elected legislative body,
and political parties are prohibited. The AFRC promulgates all
laws by decree, and all decrees are exempt from challenge in
any court of law. The President appoints a Federal Cabinet,
currently composed of 22 military and civilian ministers in
almost egual numbers, which presides over the executive
departments and comprises the Council of Ministers. Military
governors head the 19 state governments. Together with the
President, the 19 state governors constitute a National
Council of States.
President Babangida has set 1990 as the date for returning
Nigeria to civilian rule. Although no formal political
structures exist to allow popular input into government
decisionmaking, Babangida has encouraged the public to become
involved in deciding what form the next civilian government
should take. In January the President appointed a 19-person
political bureau to organize and implement a nationwide debate
on Nigeria's political future and to synthesize public
commentary into recommendations for him by the end of the year.
Like the public debate in 1985 over acceptability of an
International Monetary Fund stabilization loan, the 1986 debate
on Nigeria's political future was conducted in the media, in
the forums of professional organizations, and in written
testimony provided directly to the political bureau by a wide
range of persons, including university professors, businessmen,
religious leaders, and former politicians.
The composition of the current Government reflects greater
ethnic and religious diversity than any government in the
recent past. However, there are currently no women on the
AFRC or in the Federal Cabinet, although some women serve as
commissioners in state governments.
Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
Nongovernmental Investigations of Alleged Violations
of Human Rights
The Babangida Government has pledged that it will uphold basic
human rights. The Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA) monitors the domestic human rights situation
and has consistently spoken out against human rights abuses.
The NBA objected strongly to the Government's move to extend
its detention powers, and the Government rescinded the decree
in question. At least two other groups also monitor human
rights in Nigeria. One, the Nigerian Council of Human Rights,
an independent organization formed in 1985, issued a statement
commending the Government for amending 1984 decrees but called
for repeal of the decree allowing detention without trial.
Another group. Citizens for Human Rights, commended the
Babangida Government for its human rights record. The
Government has taken no measures against these organizations
or their individual members for their watchdog activities.
The former chairman of the NBA human rights committee continues
to hold the post of Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Nigeria hosted two recent international human rights
conferences, including the Pan African Conference on Human
Rights and Africa's Cultural Heritage in September. Speakers
included Nigeria's former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon,
who returned from self -exile in the United Kingdom to
participate. Amnesty International maintains an office in
Lagos and circulates a monthly newsletter. Its annual human
rights reports receive press attention.
Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion,
Language, or Social Status,
There is no official policy of systematic discrimination among
Nigeria's diverse ethnic and religious groups, and laws do not
overtly favor one group over another. The Government generally
makes a conscious effort to strike a balance among different
groups in its decisionmaking and in appointments to key
governmental positions. However, Nigeria has a long history
of tension among the diverse ethnic groups, and tradition
continues to impose considerable pressure on individual
government officials to favor their own ethnic or religious
group. Allegations of favoritism persist.
Women have always had economic power and have exerted influence
in Nigerian society through women's councils or through their
family connections. There has been a dramatic increase in the
number of women who have university degrees and who have become
professionals, including teachers, lawyers, doctors, judges,
senior government officials, media figures, and business
executives. But despite a degree of economic independence,
women suffer legal discrimination, experience social
inferiority, have virtually no representation in the political
arena, and despite their achievements, are often discriminated
against in employment. The pattern and specific features of
discrimination against women vary according to the ethnic and
religious diversity of Nigeria's vast population. In some
states, husbands can prevent their wives from obtaining
employment or passports. In many states, a widow cannot
inherit her husband's property, which in the absence of
children usually reverts to the husband's family. Women do
not receive equal pay for equal work, and male professionals
receive fringe benefits not extended to their female
counterparts. Female circumcision, which has never become a
major public issue, is still practiced in many areas.
CONDITIONS OF LABOR
Nigeria's 1974 labor decree establishes a 40-hour work week,
prescribes 2 to 4 weeks of annual leave, and sets a minimum
wage for commerce and industry of 125 naira per month, equal
to about $40 after the September devaluation. The labor law
prohibits employment of children under 15 in commerce and
industry, restricts other child labor to home-based
agricultural or domestic work, and allows the apprenticeship
of youths aged 13-15 only under specified conditions. It
contains general health and safety provisions, some aimed
specifically at young and female workers, enforceable by the
Ministry of Employment, Labour, and Productivity. Employers
must compensate injured workers and dependent survivors of
those fatally injured in industrial accidents.
