International Labour Law and Migrant Workers’ Rights: The Experiences of Nigerian Workers in the Middle East

This study examines the rights of Nigerian migrant workers in the Middle East under international labour law, with particular focus on the ILO Migrant Workers Conventions (Nos. 97 and 143) and the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Large numbers of Nigerian workers, particularly women from Edo and Delta States in the South South zone, travel to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates for domestic and service work, frequently under exploitative conditions amounting to forced labour or trafficking. The research adopts a descriptive methodology, drawing on ILO and IOM reports, civil society documentation, and recent legal scholarship to assess how international legal standards apply to these workers' situations. It examines the operation of the kafala system in destination countries and its incompatibility with international labour standards on freedom of movement and contract termination rights. The paper evaluates Nigeria's bilateral labour agreements with Gulf states and assesses their adequacy in protecting workers' rights pre-departure, during employment, and upon return. Findings indicate that Nigerian migrant workers are insufficiently protected by current bilateral frameworks and that domestic regulation of recruitment agencies remains inadequate. Recommendations include ratification of ILO Convention No. 143, strengthened regulation of private employment agencies, mandatory pre-departure orientation programmes, and robust monitoring mechanisms for migrant worker welfare. Keywords: migrant workers, ILO, kafala, Nigeria, Middle East.