Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Nigeria and the Republic of the Philippines have sought to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in labour migration, worker protection, and anti-human trafficking.
This was the result of a meeting between Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign and Hans Leo Cacdac, the Philippines’ Secretary of Migrant Workers in Abuja on Wednesday.
Tuggar hailed the Philippines as a “longstanding friend” of Nigeria, recalling the contributions of Filipino professionals, especially in education, aviation, and maritime sectors since Nigeria’s independence.
“Many Nigerians of my generation were taught by Filipino teachers, particularly in STEM fields. These ties extend beyond knowledge-sharing; they help build cultural bridges,” he said.
The minister underscored the alignment of the visit with President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy agenda, Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora, adding that Nigeria seeks to adopt aspects of the Philippines’ globally acclaimed system for managing overseas workers.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme, which deploys skilled Nigerians to African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, noting plans to evolve it into a revenue-generating enterprise while expanding international partnerships.
Cacdac conveyed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to deepen labour relations with Nigeria, describing the country as a “safe haven” for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
He confirmed that the Philippines is exploring the establishment of a Migrant Workers Office within its Abuja embassy to better serve Filipino nationals and strengthen liaison with Nigerian authorities.
“Our goal is to strengthen people-to-people ties through institutional cooperation, sharing best practices on labour governance, migration management, and anti-trafficking efforts,” he said.
The Philippine delegation included senior officials such as John Al Rasul, Deputy Minister for International Cooperation
Concerns Juleen Abito, Assistant Secretary for Pre-Employment and Giant Mendez, Director for Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Human Trafficking alongside staff of the Philippine Embassy in Abuja.
Both sides discussed a wide range of issues, including formalizing bilaterallabourr agreement and capacity building and creating safer migration pathways for citizens of both countries.
Tuggar revealed that Nigeria and the Philippines are finalizing nine pending agreements, with a tenth proposed by Cacdac focusing exclusively on labour relations.
Responding to journalists’ questions on challenges Nigerians face when seeking employment abroad, Cacdac stressed the need for mutual information exchange to streamline visa processes and improve understanding oflabourr systems.
“We are committed to reducing bureaucratic hurdles for overseas employment.
“As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers, we uphold the welfare of all migrant workers, whether in the Philippines or abroad,” he said.
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