By Maria Famakinwa
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The menace of child labour remains a global concern despite laws made by the government at every level to eradicate the root causes of child exploitation and provide lasting solutions to the scourge. International standards define child labor as work that is hazardous to a child’s health and development, demands too many hours or is performed by children who are too young. Usually, child labour interferes with a child’s right to education and play.
Child labour is a pervasive global issue, affecting 160 million children worldwide according to the latest data from UNICEF. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest share, with approximately 78 million child labourers, followed by Africa with 72 million. Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe contribute about 10 million and 6 million, respectively. These figures underscore the universality of the problem, rooted in poverty, conflict, and socio-economic inequality.
The figures from the International Labour Organization, ILO, give an estimate of about 160 million children who are victims of child labour globally. According to the report, Children mostly affected are under the ages of five to 17, with most of them working in jobs that deprive them of their childhood, interfere with their education, or harm their mental, physical, and social development.
During the National Child Labour and Force Labour Survey Validation Workshop held at the United Nations House in Abuja, on March 2023, the ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Ms. Venessa Phala explained that in eradicating the scourge of child labour and force labour in Nigeria, concerted efforts are required from all stakeholders, part of which is the development of monitoring infrastructure to determine and measure its magnitude, distribution, dimensions, and characteristics at the national and sub-national levels.
Her words: “Children have a right to better lives than engaging in forced labour practices just to shore up income on behalf of their parents or guardian. Children between the ages of 5-17 years are exposed to hard labour depriving them of the opportunity to enjoy childhood and develop lifelong skills through education. UNICEF reported that as of January 2022, at least 10.5 million children, or one-third of all Nigerian children, are out of school in Nigeria, making it the highest out-of-school rate in the world. This is alarming as most of these out-of-school children are at work.”
Some concerned citizens who spoke with The Hope called on governments to take decisive action against child labour which they described as being detrimental to a child’s promising future. An educationist, Mr. Olubunmi Ebiyemi, explained that the only weapon to fight the child labour menace is education. He said that education is a powerful tool in the fight against child labour because some of those who indulge in the act are ignorant of such consequences.
The educationist said further that governments and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) could play vital roles in eradicating child labor through sensitization. He said: “Eradicating child labour must be supported by everyone. The government can sensitize the public through various mass media while the NGOs should go into the rural areas where such is most prevalent to sensitize them. It is also not out of place if community and religious leaders are involved in the sensitization process because they are closer to the people. I will equally suggest that every level of government should provide mobile numbers where the public can report any case of child labour. Once this is done, it will go a long way at eradicating child labour because it is injurious to a child’s future, yet, a lot of children are affected,” he said.
In the submission of a businessman, Mr. Hillary Mike, who blamed poverty for rising cases of child labour in the country lamented that a lot of children are being deprived of their promising future due to harrowing experience of child labour and added that freeing children from labour will unlocks their potential to build brighter futures.
His words: “I came back a few days ago from my village and I felt bad when I saw what some children are going through including those with their biological parents. They were made to engage in different domestic chores, working on the farms, and hawking, while some served as domestic workers in different homes. What I concluded was that if parents are financially comfortable, they will provide for their children instead of making them go through rigorous tasks or giving them to other families as domestic workers. The only solution is for the Federal Government to improve the economy so that the standard of living can improve which will enable parents to cater for their children’s needs,” he said.
The Hope spoke with Safe School Coordinator, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) Ondo State, Mrs Yemi Agbede, who said that child labour refers to children who miss their childhood and are not able to have the basic amenities that a child should have. She revealed that child labour has been one of the biggest obstacles to social development. “It is a challenge and long-term goal in many countries to abolish all forms of child labour. Especially in developing countries, it is considered a serious issue these days.”
She added that child labour is a complex problem rooted in poverty, lack of education, and socio-economic disparities. “In Nigeria, numerous children are forced into labour, depriving them of their right to a childhood and hindering their development.”
According to Mrs Agbede, addressing the menace of child labour especially in Nigeria must be all-encompassing. She said: “Everybody must play a role to eradicate the scourge of child labour in the country. The government must provide educational opportunities for all, raise awareness against child labour and monitor supply chains.The government should also strengthen legislation and enforcement by enacting and enforcing laws that prohibit child labour and ensure penalties for violators, invest in community development programs that target poverty reduction, engage stakeholders including religious leaders among others. Individuals should also support the fight against child labour by reporting anyone engaging in such acts to the appropriate authorities.
“Eradicating child labour in Nigeria requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the root causes and involves various stakeholders. It is our collective responsibility to create an environment where every child can enjoy their right to education, protection, and a bright future. Let us commit ourselves to the cause, working hand in hand to build a nation where the dreams of children are not sacrificed at the altar of exploitation. Every child’s right must be protected at all costs and anyone who runs foul of the rights of a child should be made to face the full wrath of the law. Therefore all hands must be on deck to stem out child labour in all human endeavors where this ugly practice is being demonstrated in our society.”