The National Assembly, Senate chamber, Committee on Land Transport held a public hearing on Thursday to deliberate on a bill focusing on the compulsory provision of transport by employers for their workers.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, said the bill would ensure protection and enforcement of safety and dignity of Nigerian workers.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Babajide Omoworare.

The bill will necessitate that employers make provision for “safe and convenient means of transport” for their workers if passed.

The public hearing was declared open by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who was represented by the Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan while the event was chaired by Ashafa.

Ashafa said in his opening remarks, “I believe that the focus of this bill is the plight of the Nigerian workers and the fact that that it draws inspiration from the constitutional provision of the right to the dignity of the human person is genuinely commendable.

“It is important to note that this piece of legislation is a novel foray into the development of our labour laws in Nigeria. We have to look into the manner in which employers convey their workers, from one point to the other and in this regard, the safety and dignity of our labour force must come first. This would have a direct effect on the productivity of the average worker and in essence, translate to a more vibrant economy.”

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