Plans are underway by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Nigerian government, and other stakeholders to review the National Policy and National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour.
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The ILO Director for Abuja Country Office, Dr. Vanessa Phala, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour (WOACL). She explained that the policy review will include a list of hazardous work, aimed at providing the necessary policy and regulatory framework for the elimination of child labour.
Phala hinted that the ILO has supported research to provide data that guides policy actions in the country.
The Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022 and the Nigeria Forced Labour Survey 2022 were launched by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in April 2024.
The National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Employment and ILO developed a National Child Labour website and mobile reporting application to provide a veritable platform that will strengthen and improve the system for tracking, monitoring and reporting child labour cases across communities and states in the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammadu Dingyadi, said choosing “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: Let’s speed up efforts!’ as the theme of the 2025 edition of Child Labour commemoration is a sharp reminder to stakeholders of the need to further intensify efforts aimed at stemming the tide.”
He lamented that children are denied the opportunity to learn, play and grow in a loving and safe environment.
The minister insisted that every child has the right to go to school and not to work in dangerous jobs, adding: “You have the right to play, not to carry heavy loads. You have the right to dream, not to be forced to work long hours.”
Though the number of children trapped in child labour has dropped globally from 160 million to 138 million, the minister noted that Nigeria is part of the progress that has been made.
He added: “But even one child in child labour is one too many. Imagine a Nigeria where every child is in school, learning and becoming the best version of themselves. Imagine a country where no child is working on the streets or farms under harsh conditions. This is the Nigeria we are working towards. This is the Nigeria and future you deserve.”
He declared that the voices of children matter and are worthy of listening to, saying, “And we are listening, listening to understand and carry your message and translate it into the visions you envisage and to build a world you aspire to live in. What you say here today will help shape how we move forward.”
He stated that the government believes in the ideas of Nigerian children and hopes to use these ideas to improve policies and programmes, giving them a legacy they will be proud of.
He added, “President Bola Tinubu is determined to make life better for all Nigerians through his Renewed Hope Agenda. You can become scientists, teachers, doctors, footballers, writers, engineers, presidents – anything you want to be – but you must have the time and the support to grow and learn.”
He noted that the time has come to protect every child’s right to education, health, and dignity.
In his intervention, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to resolve the ongoing strike by teachers.
Ajaero identified poverty, inequality, weak enforcement of labour laws, and underfunded public education as practices that deepen child labour.
While the country has recorded successes in policy formulations, increased awareness, and successful interventions, Ajaero pointed out that the rate of interventions and policy evolution lags behind the rate of exacerbation of the issues surrounding child labour.
He maintained that the gaps, most of the time, give the wrong impression that nothing is being done.
Ajaero submitted that as trade unions, the movement understands that child labour is both a labour issue and a social justice issue, saying, “We cannot build decent work in Nigeria while children are forced to work and not just work but to work under inhumane and unsafe conditions.”
The NLC President called on government at all levels to implement and enforce the Child Rights Act, ensure that no child is denied access to free and quality basic education, and expand social protection programmes to shield families from the economic pressures that drive child labour.
