Workers’ rights under pressure — FES Resident Rep
IN this interview with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES, new Resident Representative in Nigeria, Lennart Oestergaard, he speaks on Europe’s impressions about Nigeria, his findings, the Trade Unions, Artificial Intelligence, AI, among others.
Impression of Nigeria
I have to be honest to say that the picture the people of Europe have about Nigeria is a bit one-sided. They do not know much about Nigeria. Generally, I will say that Europeans including Germans, do not know much about Africa. Things that I heard before coming were ‘oh, be careful if you go to Nigeria. There are security problems and the country might not be safe.’
When people hear about Nigeria, unfortunately, they think about kidnappings and online scams. The picture is a bit negative. Also, European people know that Nigeria is a very big country, a very important country, an economically strong country and that there are many Nigerians all over the world including Europe and the USA. People know about Nigeria on the map.
Now that I am here, my impression of Nigeria is much better. The people are friendly and welcoming. The people have welcomed me very well. I have not seen the problems that were described and told me about Nigeria in Germany. Of course, there are some security issues in some parts of the country but the general negative image is not true. I feel already at home in Nigeria. I have met many friendly people. It is my role and the role of my organisation to bridge the gap and to ensure that these prejudices, like wrong impressions and the negative impressions people have about Nigeria, are erased.
Also, some Nigerians might have wrong impressions about Germany and Europe. That means we need more intercultural cooperation, more understanding, and collaboration for a better image of each other.
Attractive thing in Nigeria
What struck me is the huge potential of the country. Nigeria has about 210 million people many of whom are smart, educated, and hungry for development. The Nigerian people have a big potential and it is a pity to see that much of this potential is untapped. On the economic front, Nigeria has huge potential for domestic production, to produce more goods, not only to export raw materials but also, to convert these raw materials for domestic use and export.
If we look at the world and the current global crises, there are multiple crises globally today.
There is climate change, the war in Ukraine, and economic struggles, Nigeria can be a positive factor and can play a big role internationally. There is huge potential, the Nigerian youths and the hunger for work and development, is the biggest potential I have seen so far.
Agenda for social partners
As FES we, have a very long history in Nigeria. What we do is civic education, political education and the strengthening of democracy. We want to work with and we are already working with ambitious young people, who want to become active members of society. We try to connect people who are normally not talking enough to each other. These can include military, civil societies, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations, NGOs that we work with on issues around social justice, political participation and political education.
These are what we do with our broad network of partners. On interaction with trade unions, and the focus, I have been welcomed by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and we work with sector unions, such as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGWN. I am still quite new, and I still have to learn and understand how the system works.
In general, the voices of the trade unions are of interest, and shaping the economy of the country is very important. I am pleased to see that the trade unions have a strong voice, and are always ready to step in for the rights of members. And above all, they have the whole of the economy and the wealth of the country in mind.
German, Nigerian trade unions
There are many issues we have in common in Nigeria and Germany as far as the Labour movement is concerned. Both countries are facing economic challenges. We have inflation in both countries, and workers’ rights are under pressure. The situation of workers is serious, trade union membership in both countries is going down, and not many people are joining the unions. So, the trade union’s membership is an issue.
We see, for example, how the climate change crisis and the necessity to change our economy are affecting both countries. We need to change the way we do business to be fit for the future. This includes reducing carbon emissions and going to different sectors like renewable energy. This transition will also affect workers. There is a need for a just transition. Just transition is a very important word. When it comes to the rights of workers, their voices must be heard. This is what we are talking about in Germany and it is what we also see in Nigeria. This is also what FES wants to engage in.
Unions and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, AI, is one of the most pressing issues of our time. It is a very complex issue we need to understand better. It is about understanding the potential and the threats. I think the potential is enormous. AI can create new jobs and economic growth, but it can also kill jobs. We would like to work on this as FES and do programmes on it because we have to understand AI first. Like I said earlier, it has potential but also threats. I heard for example that it is already taking jobs. I talked to a graphic designer and she said she has fewer tasks to do because some designs are now created by AI. The issue is here and it is important governments anticipate the development and create good policies around it.
Of course, AI is also an issue for Trade Unions. They have to look at it early now that is emerging to see the opportunities for members. For example, maybe to begin some re-skilling, organising workshops, and inviting experts to learn more about it including how to use it. It is not only about threats, it can create more jobs. ChatGPT for example still needs someone to operate it. This can create jobs. It is about being ahead of the wave and not being behind it. In the end, AI will require government policies.
On the role of FES as a social partner to ensure trade unions are ahead not behind, we try to work on issues that are timely. We have worked in the oil and gas sector in the past, like gas flaring. We have also worked in platform economies when they came like Uber. So, AI is a new topic so we can also work on it.
Impact of FES operations on social partners
I have received much feedback from many people who are older now, who said, my career would not have been possible without the support of FES. We are very grateful for such feedback. We work with young people to help them develop skills, not only skills; we also network and connect them with other people to work on relevant topics to promote social justice, social cohesion, and social dialogue among others.
We bring people together to have a positive impact; they work with one another to understand one another better. In the end, it is also about mutual understanding between Nigeria and Germany. Sometimes we send people from Nigeria to Germany to learn and exchange and sometimes we send people from Germany to Nigeria to learn and exchange. This exchange between countries is very important to tackling the crises the world faces today. In the end, we have to face these challenges together.