By Victor Ahiuma-Young

President Bola Tinubu has reappointed, the former General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN and renowned political economist, Issa Aremu, as Director General and Chief Executive Officer, DG/CEO, of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Recall that Aremu was first appointed MINILS DG/CEO on 18 May 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari for initial four years term.

MINILS under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was commissioned in 1983 and formally established vide Act Cap 261 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

It was gathered he was reappointed by President Tinubu on the recommendation of the Minister of Labour and Employment, based on his exceptional performance in his first term.

According to sources, “Until the appointment of Issa Aremu in 2021 MINILS was underperforming in terms of its core mandate of education, citizenship engagement and advocacy to complement government policies. Mr Aremu, his management team and staff in the past four years have tirelessly offered transformational leadership to reposition the hitherto underperforming Institute to a fast-performing visible agency of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment based on its statutory mandate.

“For the first time in its existence, the Director-General initiated and inaugurated a corporate Strategic Plan (2022-2026) for the Institute. The Plan sets the framework and roadmap for the systematic growth of MINILS within the context of its enabling statute, and the legitimate expectations of stakeholders. Today, the Director General has made MINILS more visible, and aligned in its activities with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The Institute has also been active in promoting industrial harmony at workplaces, labour/ government social dialogue, youth skill acquisition programme, youth and women inclusion, and mass digital literacy for self-employment and empowerment. Members of organized trade unions in Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, as well as members of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, at Federal and the states regularly patronize MINILS today for labour education.