Senate panel says jobs meant for Nigerians shouldn’t be outsourced to expatriates

Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, chairman of the senate committee on local content, says the national assembly will not allow expatriates to take over jobs meant for Nigerians.

Thomas gave the assurance on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

He said the committee is focused on enforcing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 and Presidential Executive Order No. 5, both of which are designed to prioritise local expertise across industries.

“We will not allow a situation where Nigerians become bystanders in their own economy,” Thomas said.

“Never again will jobs meant for our people be outsourced to expatriates. The committee is ready. The laws are on our side. What remains is resolve and partnership.”

He urged the NLC to partner with the senate in a national campaign to protect jobs and strengthen enforcement of local content laws.

Thomas noted that the committee supports President Bola Tinubu’s economic vision, including the newly launched Nigeria First Policy, which promotes job creation, workers’ welfare, and indigenous participation.

He said the dignity of labour and resilience of the economy are tied to the protection and prioritisation of Nigerian workers.

‘SUCCESSION PLANS MUST FAVOUR NIGERIANS’

Quoting Section 31(1) of the NOGICD Act, Thomas said: “For each of its operations, the operator shall submit to the Board a succession plan for any position not held by Nigerians… at the end of the four-year period, the position shall become Nigerianised.”

He stressed that compliance is not optional, adding that the law compels companies to provide clear roadmaps to ensure Nigerian takeover of roles from junior to executive level.

He also cited Executive Order No. 5, which was signed in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that it broadens local content compliance across science, technology, and engineering.

“The order directs all procuring authorities to give preference to Nigerian firms and to engage foreign companies only when there’s a verifiable plan for local capacity development,” he said.

According to Thomas, the senate committee’s focus extends beyond employment numbers to workers’ safety, long-term growth, and rights protection.

He added that the NLC, as a frontline advocate for labour rights, remains a strategic ally in ensuring that Nigerians are not shortchanged in their own country.

“From oil platforms to power grids, the Nigerian worker is the backbone of our economy. We must never allow this country to become a dumping ground for foreign labour,” he said.

Responding, Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, decried the growing abuse of expatriate quotas, saying foreigners are now being brought into the country to do menial jobs such as janitorial and toilet-cleaning services.

Ajaero accused influential individuals and organisations of flouting local content laws with impunity, warning that the continued sidelining of Nigerian workers must not be allowed to persist.

He also raised concerns over wage disparity in the workplace, alleging that expatriates often earn twice the salary of their Nigerian counterparts on the same job grade.

The NLC president said some firms manipulate immigration and trade documentation to conceal the actual composition of their workforce, thereby avoiding regulatory oversight.

He called for the creation of a central database to track compliance levels, convictions, and violations by companies operating in Nigeria.

On Wednesday, the senate committee announced that it is reviewing a series of complaints from indigenous operators over poor compliance with the local content laws.