The issue brings to mind the historical work of British activist William Wilberforce, who tirelessly campaigned against the slave trade in the early 19th century. His strong belief in the value of human life drove him to fight for the end of slavery, which was dehumanizing and reduced lives to mere commodities. While an Act for the abolition of slave trade in 1807 brought relief to some African countries, exploitation of children for labor emerged as a new form of slavery, disguised as child labor.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) declared June 12 as WDACL in 2002 to draw global attention to child labor and the need to eliminate it. Child labor robs children of education and opportunities, stacking the odds against them in securing decent income and stable employment as adults. The annual celebration aims to catalyze the growing movement against child labor.
During the 2023 WDACL celebration, themed "Social Justice for All. End Child Labour," the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Daju Kachollom, reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the issue. She highlighted that 39 percent of children involved in child labor work in hazardous industries such as mining, quarrying, construction, and are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, armed conflict, and trafficking.
Experts agree that reviewing the national policy on child labor and the national action plan on its elimination is urgently needed. This includes mainstreaming child labor into the Labour Standards Bill, with the adoption of 15 years as the minimum age for children's employment.
Investigations by Prime 9ja Online revealed a growing network of men and women across the West African coast, employing under-aged children and transporting them to Nigeria for cheap labor. Many of these children work as nannies, housemaids, hawkers, and security guards, as well as laborers in building sites across Lagos and other states.
The majority of these children are from neighboring countries such as Togo, Benin Republic, Sierra Leone, and sometimes, Ghana. Often, they are willingly contracted to work by their parents, who receive meager payments from the employers.
These under-aged children can be found in building sites and elite homes as domestic servants across various Nigerian states. They lead harsh lives, looking malnourished and lethargic, without permanent homes, moving wherever construction work takes them. It's a dire situation as they are given away by their parents or guardians in exchange for meager wages.
Child development experts agree with the Permanent Secretary, Kachollom, that poverty, cultural and religious factors, inadequate education, lack of social protection systems, and misconceptions about child labour hinder efforts to end the practice in Nigeria.
The government is determined to create initiatives to end child labor, including advocacy interventions, urging policymakers to enact and enforce laws protecting children from exploitation and ensuring access to quality education. Community-based groups are also engaged to prevent child labor, rehabilitate victims, and empower at-risk households.
While some view the involvement of these children in manual labor as learning craftsmanship, others argue that it is outright child abuse and slavery. To address this, collaborative efforts involving organizations like the Patriotic Citizens Initiative and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) are ongoing to combat child labor.
Awareness creation is vital to end this scourge, and parents are encouraged to speak out when they encounter child labor in their communities. A serious approach to prosecuting those involved in the exploitation of children as cheap labor will serve as a deterrent and help protect the rights and future of these innocent children.