Women in Domestic Work and Informal Labour: Examining the Adequacy of Legal Protection Against Exploitation in Nigeria

This article examines the adequacy of legal protection available to women engaged in domestic work and informal labour in Nigeria. Women constitute a significant proportion of Nigeria's informal workforce and are disproportionately represented in domestic service, petty trading, home-based production and other forms of precarious employment. Despite their contribution to household welfare and national economic development, many continue to experience exploitative conditions characterised by poor remuneration, excessive working hours, absence of written contracts, job insecurity, limited social protection and restricted access to justice.
Adopting a predominantly socio-legal methodology, the article combines doctrinal analysis of relevant Nigerian laws and international labour standards with an examination of the lived realities of women in these sectors. It interrogates the extent to which existing legal frameworks adequately address the vulnerabilities of women in domestic and informal labour. The article argues that while Nigeria possesses a range of constitutional, statutory and policy instruments capable of protecting workers, significant gaps in coverage, enforcement and implementation continue to expose women to exploitation. It concludes that meaningful protection requires not only legislative reform but also strengthened labour inspection, extension of social protection measures and the recognition of domestic and informal workers as integral participants in Nigeria's economy.

Domestic Work, Informal Labour, Women, Legal Protection, Exploitation

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