The fight against child labour in Nigeria received a vital tool: a 2022 Child Labour Survey, which is the latest data the country got in the last 20 years. The report, released Thursday, last week, in Abuja, revealed that over 24 million Nigerian children are being subjected to child labour. In this report, CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, presents expectation of some Nigerians following the revelation.
The unavailability of accurate data is one important tool the Nigeria government and stakeholders lacked over the years in their effort to address the issue of child labour. Data, they say, is vital to making effective plan, implementing and achieving a targeted goal.
Today, the joint effort of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, National Bureau of Statistics and United States Department of Labour, that provided $200 million support, has provided the much needed tool: a survey on child labour situation in Nigeria. The 2022 survey contains latest data that depicts the true state of the menace in Africa’s most populous nation.
Over the years, records showed that successive governments in Nigeria have not shied away from ratifying ILO Conventions and Protocols on child and forced labour. However, the ratification of the conventions and protocols made little or no positive impact in reducing the number of children in child labour in the country. Instead, the reverse seems to be the case going by the revelation of the just published data on the menace, which is alarming and begging for immediate action.
Launched on Thursday, April 18, in Abuja, the Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022 reveals that 39.2 percent of Nigeria’s children are in child labour while about 22.9 percent of them are involved in hazardous work. This is translates to 24,673,485 (over 24 million) and 14,390,353 (over 14 million) in child labour and hazardous work, respectively.
The survey went on to reveal that in children between the five to 17 age group, nearly 94 percent of them in child labour are involved in own-use production of goods (including collecting firewood and fetching water).
It stated, “Twenty four percent are in employment and 11 percent perform unpaid trainee work. Children aged five to 14 years old in child labour are less likely to be in employment and more likely to be engaged in own-use production of goods than children aged 15-17 years old in child labour.”
It further said that almost 96 percent of children in child labour who live in rural areas are engaged in own-use production of goods and nearly 26 percent are in employment compared to 89 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of children in child labour who live in urban areas.
The survey added that children in child labour between five and 17 age groups spend an average of 14.6 hours per week working, while older children in child labour spend on average more time per week at work than younger children.
“Children aged 15-17 years old in child labour spend an average of 24.6 hours per week working compared to 19.4 hours for children aged 12-14 years old and 9.8 hours for children aged five to 11 years old. Children in child labour who live in rural areas spend 2.3 more hours working on average than children in child labour who live in urban areas. Boys in child labour spend more time working per week on average than girls in child labour. However, it should be noted that these estimates do not include time spent performing household chores.
“Children in child labour are less likely to attend school than those not in child labour. In the five to 17 age groups, 53.3 percent of children in child labour have been exposed to at least one workplace hazard.
“Children in child labour who live in rural areas are more likely to be exposed to workplace hazards than those who live in urban areas. 16.3 percent of children in child labour have experienced a work-related injury. Boys in child labour are more likely to have experienced work-related injury than girls in child labour,” the survey noted.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune on their expectation now that the country has data, which serves as a working tool, some Nigerians called on government at all levels to kick-start action targeting to reduce the staggering number of children in child labour.
Mr Emenike Ubani, a lecturer with the department of Mass Communication Lecturer, Abia State University, said, “A lot of factors bordering on socioeconomic issues that can actually be addressed by government at all levels, exacerbates the child labour menace. Now that a survey has revealed this scary figure of over 24 million children in child labour in Nigeria alone, serious action is expected of the government.
“Government must take measures to strengthen existing laws child labour laws. Awareness campaigns targeting communities, parents, employers and children themselves, highlighting the negative consequences of child labour and the importance of education must be employed as part of the measure to reduce the menace. Government must provide quality, affordable and accessible education, including scholarship for children, most especially in the government owned schools. And there should be provision for vocational training for those who may want it. Social protection programmes to support vulnerable families is also necessary.
“There should also be collaboration and partnerships with civil society organisations, orientation agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGO), labour unions and international agencies to pool resources and coordinate efforts in combating child labor because government alone cannot win the battle.”
Mrs Helen Shok Jok, a journalist, said, “Having a reliable data on child labour makes it easier for government at all levels to ignite the required political will to address the menace. Importantly, government should ensure that whatever measures it will put in place are implementable.
“I expect to see bold steps taken by the government; steps that will make education free and compulsory to the senior secondary level. Also, government should now know the red flag states to focus more attention and resources on.
“In addition, poverty has been identified as a major factor why children are sent out to help their parents fend for living. Therefore, serious efforts should be made to ensure jobs, especially decent jobs, are provided. Enabling environment for businesses to thrive is sacrosanct if the fight must be successful. Provision of a living wage should be taken seriously as well. Campaign should also call advice for parents to cut down on number of children they plan to have.”
Mr Michael Oche, a child labour enthusiast, said. “Unemployment and poverty appears to be the biggest factors responsible for children labour. It is no coincidence that the number of children in child labour has increased at the same time that we have witnessed a rise in number of unemployment. Therefore, government has no excuse anymore on where to kick-start intervention programmes to reduce the menace. Social protection policies and programmes should be prioritised. Government needs to get more people out of the unemployment and poverty to be able to reduce child labour.”
A social commentator and journalist, Mr Patrick Abulu, said, “Over 24 million children in child labour shows that the country’s poor, inaccessible, unattractive and unsafe education system has a huge link to children’s engagement in work.
“Side-by-side the latest inflation rate and multidimensional poverty statistics of last year further shows that poverty is also a major contributor to child labour. Government, therefore, must wear its thinking cap and come up with measures to address the alarming menace. Existing policies that support compulsory education for children should be implemented fully. Trade unions must not leave the fight against child labour to government alone. There should be a joint action of labour centres against child labour in Nigeria.”
Friday Okeregbe, a labour reporter, said, “Going by the popular definition and understanding of what child labour is, I would say that for governments to effectively combat the menace, it should deliberately pursue and implement policies that address poverty. Poverty is the reason many families force their minors into work in the worst form of it.
“Government should make primary and secondary education free. Give priority to developing vocational centres where children who opt for vocational studies can learn a trade or even their family businesses if they so desire, but in an environment that protects their childhood and retains their dignity. Government should make strict regulations and enforcement of birth control. There is a correlation between an uncontrolled population and poverty.”
Furthermore, another labour reporter, Mr Frank Ikpefan, said, “First, the labour laws need to be reviewed; the penalties are too lenient. After the review, I would suggest that the government vigorously enforce the law where it applies. We can’t have over 24 million of our children involved in child labour; that doesn’t tell well for our country. Nigeria must begin to protect children and provide for them. We are talking about the future of this country. For state governments that are yet to adopt the Child Rights Act, this is the time to implement it.”
Mr Onyebuchi Ezigbo, a journalist, also said, “Federal and state governments and other employers of labour should ensure that workers earn a living wage. This is an important step to ensuring that the parents and relatives of these children who are found in child labour are empowered and encouraged to send them to school instead of work. This singular step will improve the living condition of most families and reduce the tendencies for those families to put their children in labour at tender age.”
“Secondly, government should come up with a scheme to empower rural dwellers, such as farmers and artisans as part of social safety net. This should be done targeting to improve their earnings to enable them send their children to school. Unions and the ILO should encourage government by campaigning for action in this direction.”
A labour analyst, Mr Collins Olayinka, said “This data calls for immediate action by the federal and state governments, trade unions and other stakeholders. The data we have now speaks to specifics in terms of most of the factors that are responsible for the menace. This data should serve as a tool for ILO and trade unions in Nigeria to monitor the fight against the menace and efforts to reduce it. In the next two or three years, we expect to see how much of this huge figure has been reduced.”
Mr. Johnbosco Agbakwuru, a journalist, also said, “Over 24 million children in child labour portend great danger for the future of the country. To tackle this menace, it is imperative for the government to put in place packages that will ensure that children from the age of one to 18 are given free and compulsory education to reduce the burden on the parents. The government should also ensure that the child labour law is fully implemented.”
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