Most Nigerian gaming workers lack formal employment, NUGLOW reveals
About 8,000 direct employees in regulatory bodies like NLRC, NLTF and state-level commissions
Nigeria.- Of the more than 300,000 people working in the Nigerian gaming industry, only about three per cent are in formal and regulatory employment.
Comrade David Omaghomi, national treasurer of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW), made the revelation in his Workers’ Day interview with This Day.
Omaghomi said that the Nigerian gaming industry workforce comprises over 300,000 individuals, including about 8,000 direct employees in regulatory bodies like NLRC, NLTF and state-level commissions, operational staff like principal agents, retail cashiers and other support teams.
However, only about 2-3 per cent of this figure enjoys formal and regulated employment, while most workers have informal arrangements with private operators or their networks.
Omaghomi noted that despite this situation, the NUGLOW is looking to bring these workers under its fold by recognising existing structures as NUGLOW branches. He revealed that the union is in talks with a major agent-based association as part of its strategy to create an inclusive framework for gaming workers in Nigeria.
When asked about how the union is helping NLTF and NLRC staff who have been directly impacted by the Supreme Court judgment, Omaghomi stated that NUGLOW is reaching out to affected workers and inviting those in other unions to join.
He said: “It’s time to move from being settlers to stakeholders. We’re also calling on workers in regulatory agencies to come together by forming state councils so they can elect their reps, participate in the forthcoming National Delegates Conference and help shape the future of this industry.”
