The coming year may bring some good news to Filipino workers who want to work in Nigeria as the government is planning to lift the deployment ban in the said African country on January 1.

According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Labor Secretary and head of the POEA board, Rosalinda Baldoz will announce the lifting of the ban on New Year’s Day.

The POEA chief, Carlos, Cao Jr., said that Baldoz will convene the POEA board anytime to have the ban lifted effective January 1.

The deployment ban lifting in Nigeria is set despite news of bombings on Christmas day that claimed the lives of 39 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Cao is hoping that the bombing incident would not affect the decision to lift the deployment ban.

The recommendation to lift the ban came from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the reason that the security situation in Nigeria has improved. The deployment ban in Nigeria was imposed due to the threat of piracy and kidnapping of Filipino seamen along its borders from 2006- 2009.

Apparently an average of 7200 Filipinos is currently employed in Nigeria. According to the DFA, Nigeria has 5000 job openings open to OFWs in the field of construction, oil and gas.