The implementation of treaties related to labour and labour relations in Nigerian law: a critical appraisal

The paper critically examined the implementation of treaties related to labor and labor relations in Nigerian law. Prior to the amendment of the Constitution in 2010, section 12(1) stipulated that all treaties must be domesticated before enforcement. But in that year a new provision – section 254C(2) – was introduced which empowered the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to enforce treaties related to labor and labor relations which have been ratified though not domesticated. One relevant question examined was whether section 254C(2) of the Constitution could be applied to enforce treaties that are partly related to labor and labor relations and also have been ratified in view of a decision of the NICN which applied that provision to enforce a treaty that was wholly related to labor and labor relations. It was argued that section 254C(2) should also be applied to enforce treaties that are partly related to labor and labor relations.