“Averagely and conservatively, about 16 million children are involved in the different types of child labour in Nigeria and over 10 million children are involved in the worst types of child labour which poses more serious threats to children being exploited by activities that have been categorised and child labour.”
This was part of the revelations made by the State Steering Committee on Child Labour (Oyo State) at a programme put in place to commemorate the 2022 World Day Against Child Labour at the hall of the Federal Secretariat, Ibadan.
The programme themed Universal Social protection to end child labour, was the finale of a chain of activities and advocacy aimed at educating secondary school students to become advocates against child labour within their peers, homes and communities as a whole.
Speaking on the purpose of the programme, the Oyo State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Festus Igbinosun, stated that the programme is to commemorate the World Day Against Child Labour which usually comes up annually on June 12, adding that the programme was moved forward this year due to the public holiday.
“Because of the public holiday and due to the fact that we have other programmes slated for last week; we had school’s sensitisation which we did with the Child Protection Network in Oyo State. The programme is basically to sensitise children and see how we can curb the scourge and ensure it is fully eradicated by the year 2025 which is the date set aside by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
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“Today is a symposium which affords students from various schools within Oyo State to come together to do presentations to showcase their knowledge about child labour. The prevalence of child labour in Nigeria is very high though it is reducing due to various advocacy and social protection efforts. In Oyo State, we have more in the area of street hawking,” he explained.
Also speaking, Dr Gregory Eigbadon, the Executive Director of Galilee Foundation and member, Oyo State Steering Committee on Child Labour, emphasised that over 10 million children in Nigeria are involved in what can be described as the worst forms of child labour.
“Child labour are activities that expose children to things that affect their health and wellbeing and the worst types are the ones that have grave consequences like sexual exploitation, hawking, begging and children working in mines. The aim of the programme is not just to create awareness but to raise vanguards among the students to reach their peers and household,” Dr Eigbadon stated.
Also speaking, Adewuyi Olubukola, the desk officer on child labour in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment said “the child labour unit of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has a state steering committee which has been working with the state ministries and other agencies like the police, immigration and NSCDC to see to the eradication.
“We have been doing sensitisation and advocacy but as part of efforts in commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour, we brought the children together to let them know the effects and danger in child labour, to groom them to be advocates because, without them, the battle won’t be easy to win. We are not just passing the message to them, we want them to be the medium of advocacy to their peers, parents and community,” she said.
and then