International Labour Law and Gig Economy Workers: Legal Frameworks and Their Applicability in Nigeria

This study analytically and empirically examines the applicability of international labour law frameworks to gig economy workers in Nigeria, focusing on platform-based workers in ride-hailing, food delivery, and freelance digital services sectors concentrated in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. ILO Conventions on freedom of association, collective bargaining, employment relationship, and social security form the primary international legal framework, supplemented by the ILO Recommendation No. 198 on the Employment Relationship. Using a mixed methodology combining labour law analysis with survey data from gig workers on leading platforms, the research examines how Nigerian labour law classifies gig workers and assesses whether current classifications comply with international labour standards on worker protection. It fills a gap in the existing literature on African gig economy governance, which has focused primarily on classification debates in Europe and the United States with limited empirical grounding in the Nigerian context. The paper examines the specific vulnerabilities of Nigerian gig workers including lack of access to pension contributions, exclusion from minimum wage protections, and inability to form effective collective bargaining units. It evaluates recent ILO initiatives to extend worker protections to platform-based work and assesses their feasibility within the Nigerian labour market context. Findings indicate that the Nigerian gig workforce, estimated in the millions, operates in a legal protection vacuum incompatible with international labour standards. An original ILO-compatible classification framework for Nigerian gig workers is proposed. Recommendations include legislative reform of the Labour Act, mandatory social protection contributions for platform operators, and ILO technical assistance for Nigeria on gig work regulation. Keywords: gig economy, ILO, labour law, platform workers, Nigeria.