Issa Aremu: Right pick National Labour Institute

Issa Aremu, hard-nosed labour leader, respected activist and tested administrator, takes charge as Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, at a critical period. The institute has lately been in the news for the wrong reasons. Last April, the situation boiled over and workers of the Institute, under the aegis of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Unions (NASU), embarked on a peaceful demonstration against alleged maladministration.

There is every reason to believe that the Federal Government consulted widely before charging Comrade Aremu with the task of sanitizing and repositioning the nation’s Labour Institute into a world-class institution. He is the first unionist and labour leader to head the Institute and, therefore headed for a natural habitat where he is expected to bring his wealth of experience to turn the fortune of the Institute around. By the warm reception he received at his inaugural meeting with management and staff, Aremu is expected to have a smooth ride at the Institute.

Aremu, 60, belongs to the first generation of University graduates to venture into full time trade unionism in the early ‘80’s. By 1987, he was appointed to head the Economic and Research department of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), a position he held for two years before joining the vibrant textile and garment union at the invitation of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He has not looked back since then.

Until this recent appointment, Comrade Aremu has been the voice and luminary for millions of multinational global workforce in his capacity, since October, 2016, when he executed the office of Vice President (Africa) of the octopoid IndustriALL Global Union, an international union confederation made up of more than 600 industrial unions, and a workforce of 50 million. In that capacity, Aremu was in the vanguard of global campaign to defend workers' rights and promote sustainable industrial policy in 140 countries in Africa, Europe, America and the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific.

The Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) is the sole tripartite institution in the West Africa charged with providing workers’ education. Aside this, the Institute undertakes extensive initiatives to build the capacity of workers and their unions, develop international linkages to encourage global solidarity and, advance the frontiers of knowledge on labour matters. Each year, the Institute trains more than 1000 workers from both the public and private sectors. During his tenure, Comrade Aremu envisions MINILS as an internationally renowned labour institution and Africa’s foremost centre of excellence in labour education.

Established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1990, MINILS, as a centre for research, education and training has the responsibility to stimulate and promote labour education through research, teaching, training, and consultancy in Nigeria and beyond, aimed at building the workforce capacity and to promote industrial harmony for organizational survival, stability, improved productivity and sustainable national development.

The idea of establishing a National Labour Institute had its roots in the Third National Development Plan of 1975 -1980 when the Federal Government took over the Patrice Lumumba Labour Institute and Trade Union Institute for Economic and Social Development. The civilian administration of President Shehu Shagari breathed fresh air into the project and, May 4, 1983, the president laid the foundation stone of the National Institute for Labour Studies (NILS) in Ilorin. Nine years later, precisely on Workers’ Day, 1992, President Ibrahim Babangida renamed the Institute in honour of Nigeria foremost labour icon, Pa Michael Imoudu.

Unionism has always been Aremu’s forte and, the ‘70’s and ‘80’s being years of ideas, helped him to blossom after enrolling at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1977. In his first year, Comrade Aremu became an active member of the Movement for a Progressive Nigeria, MPN, and the Youth Solidarity on Southern Africa, two left-leaning groups that campaigned for good governance at home and rallied global support to dismantle minority rule in Southern Africa. He was elected Secretary General two years later. Aremu played a leading role in the formation of the Patriotic Youth Movement of Nigeria, PYMN, an all-embracing student movement that offered leadership for Nigerian students through the National Association of Nigerian students, NANS.

It was ABU that Comrade Aremu struck lifelong relationship with Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and former Amir of Kano, Sanusi Barkindo, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, former permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and current Minister of Finance Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed. Others Chief Udeme Ufot, chieftain of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, former federal permanent secretary, Nuratu Batagarawa, and Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary of the Shippers Council.

A graduate of Economics and holder of a Master degree in Labour and development Studies, Aremu was educated at Ansar-ud-Deen Primary School, Ijagbo, and Ilorin Grammar School, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Port. In 2005, he was inducted into the Senior Executive Course 27 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State. He is a two-term Secretary-General of the Alumni Association of NIPSS. Aremu was labour delegate to the 2014 National Conference where he served as deputy chairman of the Conference’s committee on civil society, labour, youth and sports.

The labour luminary is the recipient of the Abdulqadir Balarabe Musa Legacy Award for service to humanity in May 2018; National Productivity Order of Merit, NPOM, Award (August, 2014); the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Award for contribution to Industrial Relations, Labour Productivity and National Development in Nigeria (March, 2014) and the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation Leadership Award in July, 2010, among others. He was inducted as a Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, A.L.I, Media Fellowship Programme in 2016.

Magaji < [email protected] > is based in Abuja, Nigeria