Key takeaways
- Human-rights abuses including child labour and forced labour remain an acute risk in Nigerian supply chains.
- Basic supplier due-diligence and regular monitoring can flag and prevent many abuses, even with limited resources.
- Transparent supplier policies, worker-voice mechanisms, and routine audits strengthen ethical sourcing and protect reputation.
- For firms that want robust compliance and long-term risk-management, external support (e.g. from a consultancy) may be necessary.
Context: Why human-rights risk matters in Nigeria’s supply chains
Many Nigerian supply chains, agriculture, raw-materials, manufacturing, and informal sectors continue to suffer from systemic labour abuses. According to a 2022 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and International Labour Organization (ILO), over 24 million children aged 5–17 were engaged in child labour in Nigeria.
In addition, recent estimates show that Nigeria had about 1.6 million people living in modern slavery as of 2021, including forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
These numbers show that abuse risks are not residual or marginal. They remain widespread, especially in informal supplier networks or upstream suppliers with weak regulation or oversight.
For Nigerian manufacturers sourcing from local suppliers or intermediaries, the reputational, legal, and financial risk from tainted supply chains is very real. That makes proactive checks, monitoring, and corrective actions not optional, but essential.
What responsible supply-chain sourcing looks like
What to check: core human-rights risk-areas
Before onboarding or continuing a supplier, consider checks on the following:
- Child labour & under-age workers: ensure all workers are of legal adult working age; request documentation or age verification.
- Forced labour / bonded labour: check that workers control their identity documents, work voluntarily, and are free to leave voluntarily.
- Fair remuneration & contracts: verify workers receive at least minimum wage or fair pay; confirm presence of written or verbal contracts.
- Healthy & safe working conditions: ensure workplace safety, reasonable working hours, protective gear or safe conditions, especially in manufacturing, mining or processing.
- Freedom of association & grievance mechanisms: confirm workers can raise concerns without retaliation and that whistle-blowing or complaint channels exist.
- Supplier transparency & traceability: maintain clear records of where raw materials or labour come from, and require suppliers to declare origin and working conditions.
Practical steps for manufacturers
- Issue a Supplier Code of Conduct Develop a short, clear code (1–2 pages) that commits your company and its suppliers to basic human-rights standards: no child labour, no forced labour, safe conditions, fair pay, right to leave, etc. Share with all suppliers, require agreement and signature before any contract begins.
- Require simple self-assessments from suppliers Ask existing or prospective suppliers to complete a self-assessment questionnaire covering age of workers, hours, pay, contract type, safety conditions, and voluntary employment. Use it to screen high-risk suppliers before engaging.
- Perform periodic spot checks or audits Even informal audits, unannounced visits, worker interviews (anonymous where possible), review of pay slips or timesheets, can uncover issues. Rotate checks across suppliers annually or bi-annually.
- Set up worker-voice or grievance channels Provide workers with confidential means to report abuse. e.g., an anonymous phone line, drop-box, or third-party contact. Ensure reports are taken seriously, investigated, and remedial actions taken promptly.
- Map and diversify your supplier base Avoid over-reliance on a single supplier or on suppliers from high-risk sectors (e.g. artisanal mining, informal agriculture). Maintain a diversified pool so that switching away from a non-compliant supplier is possible without disruption.
- Train procurement and quality-assurance teams Equip internal staff with awareness of human-rights risks and how to spot warning signs (under-age workers, excessive overtime, unsafe conditions). This builds internal capacity and reduces over-reliance on external audits.
- Document everything and require transparency Keep clear records of supplier declarations, audit results, corrective-action plans, and resolutions. This provides traceability and helps identify recurring issues which is important if you scale or work with investors.
Why these checks are practical even for SMEs
- Many steps above cost little or nothing. A code of conduct is a document, self-assessments are forms, spot checks can be done by internal staff.
- Early screening and audits help avoid future losses. Legal, reputational, or supply-chain disruption, which can be costly.
- Demonstrating ethical sourcing can increase business value: buyers, partners, or investors may prefer goods from responsibly managed supply chains; compliance can open export or financing opportunities.
- Establishing good practices early also reduces risk of sudden scandals, sanctions, or losing access to global markets.
When external support makes a difference
Internal checks are useful, but complex supply chains, especially those involving raw materials, remote areas, or many subcontracting layers, may hide deeper risks. That’s when external expertise becomes valuable. A consultancy like Teasoo Consulting can help you:
- Design a robust Supplier Code of Conduct tailored to Nigerian context.
- Build and manage routine audit and compliance systems (self-assessments, third-party audits, follow-up, remediation).
- Set up grievance / whistle-blowing frameworks in line with global best practices.
- Deliver traceability and supply-chain mapping tools, critical if you engage with international buyers, investors, or ESG-minded partners.
Takeaway: Ethical sourcing isn’t optional
In Nigeria today, human-rights abuses, child labour, forced labour, unsafe work remain structural challenges.
For manufacturers, building supply chains that respect human rights is an ethical obligation and a safeguard for business. By implementing supplier checks, audits, grievance channels, and transparent sourcing, you protect your reputation, reduce risk, and build resilience.
