President Bola Tinubu has declared that the eradication of child labour has become a national development priority, warning that the menace undermines education, poverty reduction, economic growth, food security, human capital development and national security.

The President spoke yesterday in Abuja at the National Dialogue on Advancing the Implementation of Nigeria’s National Child Labour Policy and National Action Plan (2026-2030), where he officially launched the 2024 National Child Labour Survey Report and the National Policy and National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2026-2030).

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, the President said the Federal Government would intensify efforts to tackle the root causes of child labour exploitation.

“Every nation is judged by how well it protects its children. A child who is forced into labour instead of attending school loses more than an education. That child loses opportunities, confidence, health and the chance to fully contribute to national development.

“For this reason, the Federal Government considers the elimination of child labour not merely as a labour issue, but as a national development priority. It is linked to education, social protection, economic growth, poverty reduction, food security, human capital development and national security,” the President said.

He said his administration would continue to strengthen labour administration and inspection systems, child protection mechanisms and interventions aimed at addressing poverty, unemployment, inadequate access to quality education and social exclusion.

According to him, the theme of the 2026 commemoration, ‘Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults’, reflects Nigeria’s determination to reject all forms of child exploitation.

Tinubu identified access to education as one of the strongest safeguards against child labour, saying his administration is implementing reforms focused on reducing the number of out-of-school children, improving education data, developing teachers and expanding skills acquisition.

He added that the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme would support school attendance while addressing hunger and nutritional challenges among children from vulnerable households.