With the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the ILO’s FMM West Africa II Project, in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), ECOWAS Commission and the Federation of West African Employers’ Association (FOPAO), held a three-day (13-15 October 2025) sub-regional workshop on “Building Effective Labour Migration Systems for Decent Jobs” with the members of FOPAO in Lomé, Togo.

Bringing together 25 participants from across West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission and the ILO staff members cooperated to strengthen capacities of FOPAO members and exchange knowledge to address labour migration priorities from an employer’s perspective, as well as identify opportunities for stronger Employer and Business Membership Organizations’ (EBMO) engagement on how to make labour migration safer, fairer, and more sustainable.

Participants engaged in interactive sessions covering a broad range of themes related to labour migration and labour mobility:

• International labour standards and fair recruitment: Emphasis on the implementation of the ILO’s global Fair Recruitment Initiative (FRI) in West Africa, to curb abusive or exploitative recruitment and ensure ethical hiring practices across borders.
• Skills mobility and recognition, labour-market data systems (LMMIS): Discussions focused on improving labour-market information and data coordination to better match demand and supply, manage migration flows, and support mobility of skills. This aligns with FMM’s objective to strengthen labour market and migration information systems.
• Protection of migrant workers, gender equality, and prevention of exploitation: The workshop addressed critical risks such as forced labour or child labour, while advocating for decent jobs and inclusive migration governance that respects workers’ rights.
• Employer engagement and advocacy: FOPAO members committed to playing an active role in regional labour migration governance as stakeholders in policy dialogue, standard-setting, and implementation at national and regional levels.

This activity is part of FMM West Africa II Project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of EBMOs in West Africa to engage effectively and strategically in labour migration governance, ensuring that the voice and interests of the private sector are reflected in policy formulation and implementation at national and subregional levels.