By Akinwale Kasali

Nigeria has been asked to ratify the International Labour Organisation, ILO, Convention 169 on the rights of indigenous people.

August 9th of every year is set aside by the United Nations as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.

In a statement on Saturday, the Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues, NEJII, said ratification of the convention will go a long away in addressing the challenges faced by Abuja Indigenous Inhabitants, AOI, whose political and economic rights have been denied for centuries.

The statement signed by NEJII’s Coordinator Adewale Adeoye, the group asked the National Assembly to follow the footsteps of other countries that have ratified the convention.

“Indigenous people in Nigeria face consistent challenges of social, cultural and economic marginalisation. This situation continues to fuel crisis and a deep feeling of distrust among original inhabitants.

“The ratification of the ILO Convention 169 will go a long away in removing historical barriers to justice and inclusion faced by Abuja Original Inhabitants”, NEJII said.

It noted that Abuja Original Inhabitants, with a population fo over two million, continue to live largely in poverty characterized by lack of access to the essentials of life even as Abuja continues to flourish with private and government investments on indigenous territories often without adequate compensation to the Abuja Original Inhabitants, AOI.

The ILO Convention 169 seeks governments to respect the rights of indigenous people and their unique historical and “socio-economic position within the state and their integral connection to their territories, and protects them against displacement.”

NEJII said the National Assembly needs to ratify and domesticate the Convention in order to address the festering scars left on the heart of Abuja indigenous people since the creation of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) in 1976.

It noted that land remains the most significant asset of Abuja indigenous people, most of which have been taken over by the Federal Government with vert little or no compensation.

The Convention has been ratified by 23 countries with 15 of them in Latin America like Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

NEJII calls on the National Assembly to set a historic record to be the second country in Africa after the Central African Republic that would ratify the Convention.

It said the ratification by Nigeria will lift benefits from the realm of tokens and cosmetic offering to  fundamental and institutional approach in dealing with a long-standing problem of deprivation suffered by AOIs.

Nigeria joined the  International Labour Organization, ILO, on October 17, 1960 and has ratified many ILO Conventions excluding C169, which affects the rights of indigenous peoples.

Described as the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, the C169 is crucial to the self esteem, spiritual and physical wellbeing of indigenous peoples.

Citing the United Nations, UN, NEJII said the Convention  is a “key international treaty focused on the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples according to the International Labour Organization. It’s the only legally binding international instrument specifically addressing the rights of these populations.

The convention emphasizes the importance of respecting the cultures and ways of life of indigenous peoples, recognizing their rights to land, natural resources, and self-determined development.

It also mandates consultation and participation of indigenous peoples in decisions that affect them.

The UN estimates that some 476 million Indigenous reside in 90 countries, including Nigeria. Among the 476 million Nigeria, including AOIs are 5,000 different cultures.