By Michael Oche
Public Services International (PSI), a global union federation for workers in public services, has called on government, both at federal and state level, to take urgent measures to strengthen quality public services for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and to guarantee the safety and rights of frontline workers who serve in displacement contexts.
The demand was made at the National Culminating Conference of the PSI IDP Project in Nigeria, held in Abuja, with the theme: “Unions Defending Human Rights, Climate Justice and Quality Public Services for IDPs.”
The event also witnessed the formal launch of a training manual for trade unions on IDPs, developed to expand advocacy, organizing, and protection of displaced persons and frontline humanitarian workers.
Speaking at the conference, Comrade Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), described frontline workers as the “backbone of humanitarian response,” noting that they risk their lives to provide essential services under extremely difficult conditions.
He said, “In Nigeria, frontline workers have been instrumental in responding to the needs of IDPs and refugees, often at great personal risk. Yet they continue to face inadequate protection, insufficient resources and limited access to support services. We must ensure that they have safe and healthy working environments, and access to the necessary support for their wellbeing,” he said.
Comrade Upah emphasized that protecting frontline workers requires awareness-raising, stronger policies, and collaboration among government agencies, humanitarian organizations and civil society groups.
He urged collective action to create a safe and enabling environment that allows workers, particularly health workers and auxiliary service providers, many of whom are trade union members to perform their duties with dignity and respect.
Upah stated that, “We need to recognize and protect the rights of frontline workers, ensuring that they have a safe and healthy working environment, access to the necessary services and support for their wellbeing.”
Also speaking, Sister Josephine Johansson from ASSR Sweden, a partner organization in the project, hailed the cooperation between Nigerian trade unions, civil society organizations, and the Swedish labour movement, in defending the rights of frontline workers while also advocating quality public services for IDPs
She stated that the project has raised awareness about the risks faced by frontline workers working in displacement areas, including kidnapping, noting that frontline workers’ families in some instances often have to raise funds for ransom.
She expressed optimism that the training manual, which is the first of its kind in the world, can inspire trade unions in other parts of Africa and in other parts of the world to organize and defend the rights of displaced persons.
“This partnership has enabled Nigerian trade union leaders to formulate political demands and conduct participatory research. The training manual we are launching today will serve as a tool to spread this work even further. We are proud to be part of a project that not only supports IDPs but also advocates for the rights and safety of frontline workers, who are often exposed to kidnapping, harassment and exploitation,” she said.
Josefine further stressed that displacement is not unique to Nigeria, citing recent flooding and infrastructure damage in Sweden as evidence that climate-induced displacement could affect any country. She called for global solidarity to strengthen workers’ protection.
In his goodwill message, Brother Luis Monje, PSI Project Coordinator, reflected on the journey of the IDP Project in Nigeria, noting that one of its early challenges was the lack of reliable data on displacement. He explained that this gap initially made it difficult to understand how best to respond, but through collaboration with health workers and other frontline unions, the project was able to generate useful insights and responses.
He emphasized that the initiative has built the capacity of trade union leaders to engage more clearly and effectively on IDP issues, raising awareness of the connections between climate change, forced displacement, post-conflict recovery, and quality public services.
“This project has helped affiliates to see the nexus between IDPs, decent work, and access to quality public services. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all citizens, including IDPs, enjoy full access to their human rights. Salaries are not the only way to distribute wealth; the provision of quality public services remains one of the strongest tools for equity,” he said.
Luis added that the project not only identified gaps in national policies and regulatory frameworks but also within union policies themselves.
By applying participatory methods, it enabled broad engagement across unions, particularly in health and social care sectors, strengthening social dialogue and positioning unions as key actors in Nigeria’s development process.
Also delivering a keynote address, Hon. Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, the Honourable Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), described internal displacement as one of Nigeria’s most pressing humanitarian, development and peace challenges.
Represented by Mrs Chinwe Nwachukwu , the Honourable Commissioner noted that millions of Nigerians had been uprooted from their homes not by choice but by conflict, violence, disasters and other crises.
Stressing the need to move “from policy to action,” he said durable solutions must go beyond temporary relief to restore dignity, rebuild lives, and create pathways to self-reliance.
He said, “Whether through voluntary return, local
“The Kampala Convention, the Draft national durable solutions strategy, the National IDP Policy, and other frameworks have laid the foundation. But the time has come to move beyond frameworks to implementation, monitoring, and accountability.
The Commissioner outlined five key priorities: strengthening coordination and governance, investing in livelihoods and infrastructure, ensuring legal protection and documentation, promoting peacebuilding and social cohesion, and instituting effective monitoring and evaluation systems.
