Philippines To Set Up New Migrant Workers Office In Nigeria To Assist Filipino Workers

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to open a new office in Nigeria to address the needs and concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the region, many of whom work in the oil industry and the seafaring sector.

This new office will also serve OFWs in other West African countries, including Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and Benin, according to inquirer.

At present, Filipino workers in West Africa seek help from the Philippine Embassy in Abuja. The new DMW office, Cacdac explained, will make delivering legal, medical, financial, and humanitarian services more direct and efficient.

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The planned office in Nigeria's Abuja will be the second DMW post in Africa, joining the one in North Africa, and will be part of the agency's 42 overseas offices. The DMW also plans to open offices in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Turkey.

During a press briefing on Thursday (August 7), DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac noted that West Africa is becoming a“growing labour market” for Filipinos, highlighting the importance of ethical recruitment and worker protection. Common challenges faced by OFWs in the region include piracy risks for seafarers and cases of undocumented employment.

In addition to seafarer and oil workers, many Filipinos are employed in different sectors such as information technology, sales, and education. They are also employed as factory workers and medical managers.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and other officials will embark on a weeklong visit to Nigeria and Liberia starting August 9.

The visit will include meetings with OFW communities and government counterparts as the DMW prepares to establish a migrant workers' office in Abuja, Nigeria's capital. After the visit to Nigeria, which currently employs around 6,000 Filipino, the delegation will visit Liberia, according to DMW Undersecretary Jainal Rasul Jr. The country has about 150 Filipino workers.

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