Following a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that over 15 million children are engaged in one form of child labour or the other, experts in the agricultural sector has called for the adoption of climate smart farming to reverse the trend.
The experts, who said this at a one-day capacity building for members of Abuja farmers association, organised by the Abundance of Hope Initiative (AHI), regretted that the Agric sector accounts for the largest proportion of child in labour when compared to domestic service and trafficking for prostitution that currently accounts for lesser percentage.
The training, organised as part of AHI activities to commemorate the 2024 World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL), the organisers noted it was for farmers and children who were involved in Child Labour.Â
A facilitator at the training, Gbenga Adeleke who stressed the need to raise awareness on the menace of child labour in agriculture sector, educated farmers about critical issues around child labour in the sector and the benefits of climate smart agric, with the use of comparative advantage approach.Â
Adeleke charged smallholder farmers on the need to recognise their roles in protecting children against any form of child labour, as well as identifying and preventing factors that constitute child labour in their farms.
He assured the farmers and their association of AHI’s support to strengthen their operation and capacity for legal registration, adding that the AHI will collaborate with the leadership of the association to facilitate enrolment and integration of victim of child labour.
