Title: Corporate democracy: a panacea for job insecurity in Nigeria

Authors: Samuel E. Ojogbo

Addresses: Faculty of Law, University of Delta, Owa-Oyibu Campus, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract: This paper discusses employment challenges in Nigeria. The paper identifies mismanaged deregulation and privatisation of national assets, as well as corporate board opportunism, as the two major factors that have led to frequent corporate failures and increasing job insecurity in Nigeria. The paper examines the scope of employment laws in Nigeria with respect to matters relating to employment security. Owing to identified disconnect between the protection offered under employment laws and the specific contributors to job insecurity in the Nigerian context, the paper contends that the search for a solution to job insecurity must go beyond current labour laws. Since corporate failures have a significant impact on job security, the premise of this paper is that the approaches to managing business enterprises must be reconsidered. More specifically, it mainly suggests the introduction of labour representatives on corporate boards as a strategy for promoting business efficiency and protecting labour rights.

Keywords: Nigeria; corporation; employee; employee protection; employment laws; job insecurity; traditional labour rights; employment gaps; corporate governance; corporate board representation; corporate law; corporate democracy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPL.2021.120443

International Journal of Private Law, 2021 Vol.10 No.1, pp.31 - 46

Received: 28 Jan 2021
Accepted: 08 Jul 2021
Published online: 19 Jan 2022 *