The alarm raised by Public policy think tank group Nextier and the country director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) that no fewer than 15 million Nigerian children are engaged in child labour in Nigeria is quite frightening. It is yet another manifestation of poverty that is deep in the land, and needs to be addressed frontally in the interest of the country’s future. Child labour in Nigeria takes various forms and occurs in different sectors, including agriculture, domestic work, street vending, and informal industries.
Millions of Nigerian children, who are deprived of their childhood and human dignity are engaged in work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally harmful to them and even compromises their schooling.
Widespread use and exploitation of child labour in Nigeria, according to most accounts, is on the rise in due to persistent poverty in the country. Nigerian children are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, child trading, child hawking, and other hazardous activities such as making children trek far and wide to fetch water and firewood.
Children aged between five and 14 years, without basic education, roam the streets in search of survival. Poor Nigerian parents are deceived into believing that their children will be well looked after and given decent legal employment, only for the children to be initiated into atrocious child labour and exploited through hours of low-paying jobs and exposure to hazardous environments. Children are also enlisted to do heavy work on farmlands and in factories.
One of the most disturbing aspects of child labor is the growing demand for children for sexual purposes. According to the United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Nigeria continues to be a source, transit, and destination country for sex trafficking of children. Apart from Italy, Nigerian young prostitutes have invaded Spain, Germany, Belgium, Austria, the United Kingdom, and other countries. They constitute the largest group of prostitutes in Norway, with over 500 underage Nigerian prostitutes working in the Netherlands. Most of these prostitutes are recruited through the human trafficking industry. The majority of the young victims of this trafficking are unsuspecting young girls who are enticed with promises of good jobs abroad, only to be coerced into prostitution overseas.
Apart from poverty, other causative factors of child labour in Nigeria include poverty, lack of access to quality education, cultural practices, and a lack of enforcement of child labour laws. Families facing economic hardship often rely on child labor as a means of survival. Urban poverty and deprivation have forced millions of Nigerian children onto the streets. Often, these young children are seen hawking their wares in the streets of Nigeria, and in the process, some are sexually abused, while others are exposed to the most hazardous and unfriendly environments. The tragedy of child labor in Nigeria is that a large proportion of Nigerian children who are denied basic education are forced into premature adulthood by being made to perform work meant for adults. Too many Nigerian families depend on the income, however small, brought in by their children.
Also worrisome is the practice of killing unborn and newborn children where babies resulting from so-called unwanted pregnancies or babies born out of wedlock are callously disposed. As a consequence, female infanticide has gained ground in Nigeria. Therefore, child labour represents an entrenched challenge that warrants attention and effective policy interventions in Nigeria. Concrete actions are required to eliminate child labour in the country to give new hope to children, including returning them to school.
Government at all levels can pursue effective policies to combat this vice, partly by partnering with relevant NGOs, private agencies, voluntary organizations, civil society organizations, Churches, Mosques, and neighborhood organizations. These efforts should include awareness campaigns, the provision of educational and vocational training opportunities, and advocacy for stricter enforcement of child labour laws. Child workers should be encouraged to attend school and learn new skills, and above all, not give up hope for a better future. Given the strong cultural belief that children should be seen and not heard, parents should be enlightened about child labour and children’s legal rights.
Nigeria has various laws and regulations protecting Nigerian children from child labour. However, these laws and regulations are hardly adhered to or enforced. The Nigerian Labour Act, the Child Rights Act, and the National Policy on Child Labour are among the legal instruments aimed at addressing the vexed issue. However, the enforcement and implementation of these laws remain significant challenges. For instance, the Child’s Right Act has outlawed child labour, but many states of the federation are yet to embrace or domesticate the Act, often on cultural and religious grounds. The central government should reach a consensus with the objecting states on the legal framework that will protect children from child labour. Government should ensure that labour inspectors receive sufficient financial, technical, and human resources to enforce child labour laws.
There is need also for mass enlightenment to make adults understand that children have rights that should be protected. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989, signed and ratified by Nigeria, remains the benchmark for assessing the rights of our children. The CRC states that every child, before and after birth, should have the right to life, the right to basic education, the right not to be coerced into engaging in any unlawful sexual activity, the right not to be abducted and sold into slavery, freedom of expression, the right not to be used for forced labor, child trade, child trafficking, and so forth. Therefore, the various child protection mechanisms should be strengthened, including child protection services such as hotlines and counseling services for children in need.
The government should create efficient mechanisms for reporting and investigating child labour cases. Government, civil society organizations, NGOs, and voluntary organizations should provide financial incentives and scholarships to encourage child enrollment and attendance in schools. The government should initiate community programs in efforts to combat child labour and to emphasize the importance of protecting children’s rights. The authorities should encourage businesses to adopt and enforce ethical labor practices, including supply chain monitoring. The government should seek the collaboration of corporate bodies and international organizations, such as the ILO and UNICEF, for technical assistance and resources.
Rather than subject children to all manner of child labour, they should be provided with the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually, and socially in a healthy environment, while enjoying conditions of freedom and dignity. This is the only way the country can hope to nurture the future leaders of tomorrow.
