AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja
Nigeria has strengthened its collaboration and move to eliminate child labour in the country with the ongoing validation of the Draft National Child Labour Policy and National Action Plan (2026–2030).
The plan is a framework designed to address both traditional and emerging forms of child exploitation, including technology-facilitated child labour and labour migration-related abuses.
Addressing participants at a two-day validation workshop in Abuja with civil society organisations and development partners, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kamil Shoretire, represented by the Director of Inspectorate, Olaolu Olaitan, described the meeting as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to protecting children from exploitation and securing a better future for the next generation.
The permanent secretary said that findings from the 2022 National Child Labour Survey highlighted the urgent need for stronger interventions to address the root causes of child labour including poverty, limited access to quality education, social exclusion and inadequate social protection systems.
Olaitan informed that the Federal Government had demonstrated its commitment to ending child labour through the enactment of relevant laws, development of policies and programmes and ratification of key International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, particularly Convention 138 on minimum age for employment and Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour.
He added that the new policy and action plan, developed through extensive consultations with government agencies, employers, workers’ organisations, civil society groups, development partners and academics would serve as a roadmap for coordinated national action over the next five years.
Speaking also, Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Vanessa Phala, commended the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and members of the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour for reaching the validation stage.
She noted that child labour remains a major global and regional challenge, depriving millions of children of their rights, education and future opportunities.
Phala who was represented by the National Project Coordinator at ILO, Agatha Kolawale. said the policy, action plan and monitoring framework were built on lessons from the previous National Action Plan, findings of the 2022 National Child Labour Survey and international frameworks, including ILO Conventions 138 and 182, the Marrakesh Roadmap, the African Union 10-Year Action Plan and the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan.
According to her, the framework places strong emphasis on social protection, access to quality education, enforcement of labour laws, occupational safety and health, behavioural change, community engagement, improved data systems and emerging concerns such as digital child labour.
She emphasised that implementation would require adequate financing, strong institutional coordination, effective monitoring and sustained stakeholder engagement, while reaffirming the ILO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to translate the policy into tangible outcomes.
Phala called for a whole-of-society approach involving governments, employers, workers, civil society organisations, communities and the private sector, particularly in addressing child labour within supply chains and the informal economy.
Providing insight into the development of the policy, consultant and resource person, Ruth Ataguba, said the document was produced through a participatory process involving the National Steering Committee, the ILO and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
She explained that the new policy responds to emerging realities, particularly the growing challenge of technology-facilitated child labour, where digital platforms can expose children to exploitation despite offering educational and developmental opportunities.
Ataguba further disclosed that the policy also addresses labour migration concerns, including deceptive recruitment practices that lure individuals, especially young people, into non-existent employment opportunities.
She noted that the document aligns with the Marrakesh Declaration and incorporates measures aimed at strengthening the protection of children’s rights and promoting fundamental principles and rights at work.
Stakeholders at the workshop expressed optimism that the final policy and action plan would provide a stronger framework for preventing and eliminating child labour, while advancing Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which calls for the eradication of child labour in all its forms.
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