The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared the elimination of child labour a national development priority, marking a significant shift in emphasis to tackle the long-running issue. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, made the declaration at the National Dialogue on Advancing the Implementation of Nigeria’s National Child Labour Policy and National Action Plan in Abuja. The new policy and action plan aim to address child labour as a labour, child protection, education, poverty reduction, economic growth, food security, human capital development, and national security issue.
The 2022 National Child Labour Survey found that about 24.67 million Nigerian children aged five to 17 were engaged in child labour, representing 39.2 per cent of the population in that age bracket. The same survey found about 14.39 million children in hazardous work, with rural children recording a higher prevalence than their urban counterparts, and agriculture accounting for a major share of child labour. These figures provide a baseline against which the newly launched 2024 survey can be assessed.
The Federal Government has launched the 2024 National Child Labour Survey Report, alongside the National Policy and National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour 2026–2030. The President directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies, state governments, employers, workers’ organisations, development partners, and civil society organisations to ensure full implementation of the policy and action plan. The government aims to strengthen labour administration and inspection systems, child protection mechanisms, and interventions addressing poverty, unemployment, inadequate access to quality education, and social exclusion.
Experts have identified economic hardship as one of the main forces driving children into labour. Lawyer and labour rights advocate, Femi Aborisade, warned that inadequate household income could create a cycle in which parents struggle to meet basic needs, children leave school to work, and the resulting loss of education further entrenches poverty. The government’s social protection programmes, including the NG-CARES Additional Financing Programme and the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Programme, aim to improve household resilience and help parents and caregivers secure livelihoods without relying on children to supplement family income.
The International Labour Organisation said Nigeria had validated the 2024 National Child Labour Survey Report, describing the updated data as important for targeting inspections, education interventions, social protection, support for vulnerable families, and responsible business conduct across supply chains. The availability of newer data is expected to give policymakers a clearer picture of where child labour is concentrated and the sectors and circumstances in which children remain vulnerable.
Child protection specialist Ebenezer Omejalile of the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network described child labour as a long-standing problem that had been intensified by economic hardship and weaknesses in enforcement. He identified agriculture, street trading, construction support work, domestic service, and other informal activities among areas where children could be exposed to physical and psychological harm. Omejalile emphasised the need for stronger enforcement, as data and laws must translate into action.
The Federal Government’s directive to employers to ensure that their supply chains are free of child labour is significant, as is the call on workers’ organisations, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, communities, parents, and guardians to support the implementation of the new national framework. For the policy to produce measurable change, labour inspection will remain critical, particularly in sectors dominated by informal employment where child labour can be difficult to identify and regulate.
Key points
- The Nigerian government has launched a new policy and action plan to eliminate child labour, targeting poverty, unemployment, and inadequate access to education.
- The 2022 National Child Labour Survey found 24.67 million Nigerian children aged five to 17 engaged in child labour.
- Experts emphasize the need for stronger enforcement and improved household resilience to tackle child labour.
