An Indigenous Language Advocate and Human Rights Defender Josiah Egbilika have called on the government to have the political will to enforce all laws against child labour in Nigeria.
Josiah Egbilika said this at an event to mark the 2024 World Day against Child Labour in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
The World Day against Child Labor is celebrated every June 12 of the year and it is a day set aside to raise awareness and solicit for prompt actions to stop child labour in all of its forms.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the Day in 2002. Since then, the day has focused attention on the prevalence of child labour throughout the world, and the actions needed to eliminate it.
According to the International Labour Organization, Child Labour refers to any work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; that deprives them of the opportunity to attend school or that causes any form of harm to children.
The World Day against Child Labour since its inception in 2002 has sought ways to eliminate child labour in the world. According to the Global Estimates of Child Labour Results and Trends report of 2012-2016 released in 2017 by the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, there are about 152 million children in child labour and 73 million of them are engaged in hazardous works that directly harm their health, safety or moral development.
Meanwhile, a recent statistic reported by the United Nations shows that 160 million children are still engaged in child labour amounting to one in ten children worldwide. According to the report, Africa ranks highest with 72 million children in child labour, Asia and the Pacific ranks second highest with 62 million, Americas with 11 million, Americas, Europe, Central Asia and the Arab States amount to a total of 18 million children facing child labour.
In Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics report titled: Nigeria Child Labour and Forced Labour Survey 2022, shows that Twenty-Four Million, Six Hundred Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty-Five (24,673,485) amounting to 39.2% of children between five to seventeen years face child labour, while 22.9% amounting to Fourteen Million, Three Hundred and Ninety Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Three (14,390,353) children are involved in hazardous work.
There have been various reports of child labour in Nigeria. Children starved of food from morning to evening. Some carry loads bigger than their age; some others are trafficked in the name of succour to face inhuman treatment at the hands of their caregivers.
However, Human Rights Activist, Josiah Egbilika during the event to mark the International Day against Child Labour called on the Government and the public to join hands together in eliminating child labour in Nigeria.
“The government has indeed passed the Child Rights Act (2003) into law which seeks to protect the rights of children; its implementation however has been low. To this, the government should as a matter of priority build the capacity of security agents towards implementing the Child Rights Act of 2003. Then establish family courts all over the country and add the trial of perpetrators of child labour as part of their responsibilities”.
He also called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP to collaborate with community-based security outfits to fish out those who traffic children in the disguise of providing succour, only to engage them in child labour.
He also challenged Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs and the media to take it as a responsibility to create more awareness of the ills of child labour to children.
The Indigenous Language Advocate said that NGOs should engage local communities, and traditional and religious leaders to seek the protection of child rights.
“The media should create programmes, jingles and discussions that facilitate the elimination of child labour in the society. These actions will help to enhance knowledge of what child labour is all about, and the effects and danger of child labour to society. Citizens can assist by reporting those perpetrating the act to appropriate security agencies, speaking out, and acting judiciously whenever they see someone engaging in child labour. If we need to eliminate child labour in Nigeria, we must all show commitment and take precise actions to fight against Child Labour in the country” he said.
