EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study examines the state of workers' rights and labour standards, with particular focus on the provisions and the extent to which they are complied with and enforced as well as what can be done to ensure the protection of workers' rights in Nigeria. Three sectors of the economy; banking, oil and gas and telecommunications were examined. In carrying out this research, the survey research technique was adopted using a combination of primary and secondary materials. To elicit information from respondents, an open-ended questionnaire containing 43 items was used. This was complemented by interview of key trade union officials, employers' representatives and officials of state agencies involved in labour administration. In all 850 questionnaires were given out to workers across the three sectors in Abuja(150), Lagos(500) and Port-Harcourt(200). A total of 378 questionnaires were returned representing 44.47% rate of return. Based on analysis of empirical data and secondary materials the major findings include; i) There is an appreciable level of rights awareness on the part of workers in the three sectors covered. A great majority of them claimed to be aware of their rights as workers and this was confirmed by the wide range of rights identified by them. This high level of awareness was demonstrated by both male and female respondents. The problem, however, lies in the inability of workers to compel employers to comply with relevant provisions of the law. The situation is further aggravated by the prevailing economic situation in the country which makes workers very vulnerable. ii) The level of compliance on the part of employers is low. In actual fact it would appear that employers are deliberately avoiding compliance, taking advantage of the weak legal framework and the vulnerability of workers in an unstable economic environment iii) Official enforcement is low and this is encouraged by weak institutional capacity particularly in the labour administration system that is not well equipped to discharge the responsibilities placed on it. iii