As the world marks the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour, Beacon of Transformative and Inclusive Development Centre (BEACON), a Kaduna-based NGO, has issued a strong call for sweeping institutional reforms to combat child labour in Nigeria and across Africa.
In a statement on Thursday, Mrs. Abigail Olatunde, BEACON’s Executive Director, decried the systemic failure that pushes millions of children into labour instead of classrooms.
“Millions of children in Nigeria and across Africa wake up not to learning, but to labour — in farms, markets, mines, and homes,” Olatunde said.
“This is not merely a crisis of work; it is a crisis of broken promises, structural inequality, and denied rights.”
Startling Figures Reflect a Deepening Crisis
Olatunde cited alarming statistics that illustrate the scale of the issue:
- 15% of Nigerian children aged 5–14 (approx. 6.8 million) are trapped in child labour.
- 35.3% in that age group juggle school and work.
- Among those aged 15–17:
- 21.9% work full time.
- 45.3% combine schooling with labour.
- In Enugu, a 2021 study found that 71.7% of junior secondary students engaged in labour, many in hazardous conditions.
- 35.2% of child workers face hazardous environments, such as quarrying, mining, and sexual exploitation.
- In domestic settings, 1 in 5 children work over 42 hours a week, with 15.6% showing signs of PTSD.
- 1 in 3 Nigerian children is out of school—with girls’ attendance in Northern Nigeria dropping below 48%.
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Child Labour: Rooted in Poverty, Marginalisation, and Weak Systems
BEACON identified the following drivers of child labour:
- Poverty and exclusion – 46.9% of the poorest African children are in labour, compared to 23.7% of wealthier peers.
- Weak educational access and infrastructure.
- Legal loopholes and poor enforcement.
- Cultural systems like the Almajiri practice, which forces children into street begging and menial work.
- Rural neglect and lack of investment in marginalised communities.
Olatunde emphasised that to address these root causes, reforms must include:
- Free, quality education for every child.
- Social protection programs to lift families out of poverty.
- Labour law reforms to protect informal workers.
- Community engagement to challenge harmful norms and defend children’s rights.
A Call to Action
“This is not just about statistics—it’s about children robbed of their dreams and futures,” Olatunde said.
“A just society does not steal childhood—it protects it.”
She urged the Nigerian government and African leaders to:
- Fully implement child protection laws.
- Invest in inclusive education and health systems.
- Abolish harmful practices and strengthen legal accountability.
- Ensure that no child is forced to choose between survival and schooling.
Olatunde concluded with a powerful message: “At BEACON, we speak for the 15 million Nigerian children working today.
We demand a future where children are free to learn, play, and dream—because only then can Africa truly rise.”
NAN