Nigeria government says it has designed a robust National Reporting Template or policy that would minimize if not totally eliminates the issue of Child labour in the nation before the year 2025. The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi, at sensitization Workshop on the new Template for the North West zone, held in Kano, said the template is a practical move to end the endemic culture of abusing the rights of children in Nigeria before the year 2O25.
“Today’s child Labour has become a serious challenge at global and national levels and requires concerted efforts to tackle it headlong, a reason why the Nigerian government agreed on the designing of a new template that will help tackle it in all the States of the federating unit,” Adebiyi said.
Adebiyi explained that his Ministry over the years worked assiduously in collaboration with the Development Partners and other stakeholders in developing a robust National Policy on Child Labour as well as National Action on the elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria.
“We have since created a target under Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals that is target 8.7 which seeks to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced Labour, and end Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking,” Adebiyi stated.
He said the target includes “how to secure the Prohibition or Worst Forms of Child Labour, including Recruitment and the use of Child Soldiers and we hope by 2025 the issue of Child Labour would be a thing of the past”.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the Workshop was the roadmap for the eventual elimination of the worst forms of Child Labour in Nigeria, calling on the participants to form a basis for an efficient and effective monitoring and evaluation of the various interventions aimed at eliminating Child Labour in the country.
“I believe that the National Reporting Template for Combating Child Labour remains one of the most pragmatic ways of harnessing the potentials and comparative advantages of the various stakeholders in order to make meaningful progresses,” Adebiyi said.
Adebiyi added that, “Kano, Zamfara, Jigawa and Kaduna State Labour Offices have since inaugurated their State steering Committees on Child Labour (SSCCL) and their commitments in the fight against Child Labour is highly appreciative urging other States to quickly queue in, so that we will cover the entire nation within the stipulated time necessary”.
The Permanent Secretary commended the International Labour Organisation, the United States Department of Labour, Trade Union Congress, NLC and other similar bodies for the full support in tackling the menace.
He said that the Nigerian government is ready to give all necessary support for the total eradication of Child Labour in Nigeria.
