Ikeja:The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has raised alarms over the persistent issue of child labour in Nigeria, noting that millions of children are involved in hazardous work. Mrs. Olaolu Olaitan, Director of the Inspectorate Department of the ministry, addressed the issue during a stakeholders’ advocacy roundtable on child protection held in Ikeja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the event, organized by the Devatop Centre for Africa Development with support from The Freedom Fund and the U.S. Department of State, focused on enhancing child protection responses to exploitative child domestic work.
Olaitan revealed that recent statistics indicate that between 15 million and 17 million children aged five to 17 are engaged in child labour, with 14.3 million involved in hazardous activities, which account for 22.9% of this age group. She also noted that approximately 617,000 individuals are trapped in forced labour.
The director emphasized that child labour is most prevalent in agriculture, with mining, domestic service, and urban informal jobs also being high-risk sectors. Domestic service, in particular, is highlighted as particularly dangerous due to its hidden nature, making it hard to monitor and exposing children to abuse.
Olaitan pointed out that many child domestic workers are deprived of education, proper nutrition, and freedom of movement. They are often subjected to hazardous tasks and various forms of abuse. She stressed the need for stronger law enforcement, improved education access, and responsible business practices to combat child labour.
She emphasized that poverty is the primary driver of child labour, with families relying on their children for income. Additionally, she mentioned a “poverty of mindset” within communities, where harmful practices are normalized.
Efforts are being made to improve coordination through a child labour website and mobile app to strengthen case monitoring. The ministry aims to reduce child labour prevalence to below 25% and hazardous labour to below 10% by 2030, while increasing school attendance above 90% in high-burden areas.
Olaitan outlined key intervention areas, including social protection, quality education, youth employment, legal frameworks, and behavioural change. She also called for improved coordination among agencies and stronger partnerships with traditional institutions and community leaders.
Miss Janet Homo, Project Lead at Devatop Centre for Africa Development, highlighted the importance of effective law enforcement in eliminating child labour and noted improved government-CSO coordination at the grassroots level.