AHEM Nigeria Launches Campaign to Promote Respect for Domestic Staff

…To hold inaugural conference Sept 17, 18

In anticipation of its inaugural conference billed for September 17 and 18, 2021, the Association of Household Employee Managers (AHEM) has launched a pledge video across social media to advocate for the rights of domestic workers.

The one-minute video features some of the conference speakers led by the President of AHEM Nigeria, Elizabeth Ajetunmobi. In the campaign video, domestic employers are implored to be humane towards their domestic staff and accord them the respect that they deserve.

According to the speakers, “There are certain people like you and me, who care for our home or work environment. Although they work for us, they deserve to be respected. Today, we encourage you to recognise the rights of your domestic staff and make a pledge to treat them better. This will not only help them become more productive but will also help them take better care of the people and things that mean so much to you.”

The AHEM Nigeria Conference is a two-day hybrid event targeted at major stakeholders in the domestic work industry, including employees (domestic staff), domestic staffing agencies, businesses that operate in the domestic staffing industry, and employers at home and work.

The President of AHEM Nigeria, Ajetumobi, revealed that: “The AHEM Conference 2021 will create a platform that will explore various discussions covering labour policies, conflict resolution, underage and domestic abuse, the conditions of work of domestic workers, the employment policy context in Nigeria, and the methods of procurement of domestic workers focusing on employment agencies.”

Also, the Vice President of AHEM Nigeria, Emem Nwogwugwu, said with a conference theme: ‘Future of Nigeria’s Domestic Staffing Industry-Changing the Narrative’, she believes that the future is here and all interested parties in the domestic work industry need to collaborate for success.

The speakers for the conference include: Tara Fela-Durotoye, Fola Alade (ESQ), Elizabeth Ajetunmobi, Biola Adediran, Chinwe Odigboegwu, and Emem Nwogwugwu, while the media personalities, who are Ayo Mairo-Ese, and Omotunde Adebowale-David popularly known as LoLo I, will serve as comperes for the September 17 and 18 events respectively.

According to the organisers, the first day of the event, September 17, is targeted at domestic agencies, employers, and businesses and will hold virtually with very limited physical seats, while the physical conference scheduled for September 18 will be held at the Landmark Event Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. Both days of the conference will comprise panel sessions, masterclasses, questions and answers sessions, aerobic sessions, and practical learning sessions for domestic staff, among others.

“There will also be an award ceremony on September 18, dedicated to recognising the domestic staff who have been nominated by their employers for their outstanding work. Interested participants can register for free to attend the conference at https://bit.ly/ahem2021,” the organisers said.