From Ratification to Reality: ILO Convention No. 190 and the Implementation Gap in Workplace Sexual Violence Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

Sexual violence and harassment remain pervasive yet institutionally silenced problems in Nigerian workplaces. Nigeria's ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 190 in November 2022 marked a significant milestone in the country's anti-harassment governance. However, ratification does not automatically translate into institutional effectiveness. Drawing on a public administration perspective of the "implementation gap," this article systematically analyzes the tension between C190's institutional requirements and Nigeria's actual governance landscape. The analysis identifies significant deficits across three dimensions: normative (fragmented legal framework), organizational (weak enforcement capacity and ineffective reporting mechanisms), and governance (limited tripartite coordination and representational deficits). These gaps stem from the combined effects of legal fragmentation, organizational accountability failures, and structural power asymmetries. The article argues that effective implementation of C190 in Nigeria requires three transformations: translating principles into enforceable rules (normative translation), shifting from formal compliance to substantive protection (organizational transformation), and moving from isolated departmental action to multi-stakeholder governance (governance transformation). The study contributes to theoretical understanding of how international labour standards are domesticated within national public administration systems and offers practical implications for anti-harassment policy reform in Nigeria and other developing countries.