“LO, children are heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). Children are wonderful gifts from the Lord, and should be treated with care. However, it’s quite disheartening to see a child being sent out to work and earn money, instead of the parent doing so. All over the country, several children abound who are sent out by either their parents or guardian to do all kinds of trades and businesses in order to make money for them.
Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school; and it is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful.
The International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations Agency concerned with the interests of labour defines child labour as; “work that children should not be doing because they are too young to work, or if they are old enough to work – because it is dangerous or otherwise unsuitable for them.” The ILO conventions stipulates that; “whether or not, any particular forms of “work” can be called “child labour” depends on the child’s age, the type and hours of work performed and the conditions under which it is performed.”
Several children have been exposed to this huge social menace called “child labour,” as they are sent out to do various jobs such as street hawking, begging, prostitution, engaging in illicit activities such as drug trafficking, stealing and armed robbery; as sales boys and girls, street vendors, shoe shiners, apprentices (mechanics, carpenters, vulcanisers, tailors, barbers, and domestic servants), scavengers, and so many others.
Although, the incidence of child labour in the world decreased from 25% to 10% between 1960 and 2003 according to the World Bank, nevertheless, the total number of child labourers is indeed on the increase as UNICEF and ILO have estimated that over 168 million children aged 5-17 years world wide, were involved in child labour in 2013.
Child labour can also be referred to as the employment of children under the age of 18 in a manner that restricts or prevents them from basic education and development.
Child labour impairs the schooling of a child, as most children who engage in child labour do this during school hours, and therefore, forfeit their education in order to be on the streets. “Education is the bedrock of the society”. However, it is so saddening to see children who are supposed to be in their various classrooms learning, doing various jobs to make money.
It is indeed an undeniable fact that poverty is a major reason for child labour in Nigeria. Parents who cannot provide for the family, put the care of their children in the hands of relations. This is prominent with parents in the village. Most times, these relations promise to take very good care of these children, and even sponsor their education. However, they end up doing the reverse, by turning these children into child labourers, sending them to work throughout the day and even at night to earn money for them. These children are exposed to all kinds of hazards. Their employers usually maltreat them because they are children, even the “relations” ill-treat them at home, they are atimes beaten, starved and denied food to eat
Children are not in anyway supposed to be a source of the family income. Parents bring children into the world, and so, they should be able to cater for their financial, educational, material, health, emotional, psychological needs, and in any other way the child needs assistance. Children are not supposed to be labourers. However, a child can assist his/her parent in their business after school, hence, this assistance should not in any way hamper the child’s education.
Furthermore, children are tomorrow’s leaders. However, they cannot be true leaders and future champions if they are denied their right to quality education, and are turned into child labourers. A child will certainly not be happy seeing his/her mate dressed every morning for school to learn, while he/she dresses for work. As a parent, you should go the extra-mile for your children; ensure that you get a job to see them through school, rather than exposing them to various kinds of jobs to provide for the family. The popular story of Ben Carson should be one that parents should take a queue from. Ben Carson’s mother, Sonya raised her children as a single mother. She worked extra hours just to ensure that her children go to school, and she was indeed a huge contributor to Ben Carson’s success story.
Grace Abbott wrote, “child labour and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labour of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labour at the end of time.” Hence, child labour should not be seen as a tool to eliminating poverty, because if you do so, you are creating more problems, as it will amount to both child labour, and an increased rate of poverty. In lieu with this Kailash Satyuarthi also said; “Child labour perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population growth, and other social problems”.
Although we have laws prohibiting child labour in Nigeria, child labour still continues to exist as these laws are not properly enforced, and perpetrators of child labour do not face the wrath of the law.
Several children have become victims of child labour, they have been exposed to the unpleasant sides of life. Most dismaying is the fact that several children (particularly girls) have been used for commercial sexual exploitation purpose, where they are being forced to give their bodies to men.
Child labour not only undermines the root of human nature, it also threatens future social and economic progress worldwide. Trade, competitiveness, and economic efficiency should not be a pretext for child labour as child labour is a crime; when a child is asked or forced to do work that interferes and deprives him/her from his/her childhood activities like playing and studying, it certainly has an effect on the child’s psychology and make-up. Childhood is a part of human life in which the child enjoys the pleasures of life and parents love and pampering, the child is not supposed to be earning, involved in various menial jobs at that tender age. Some children as low as 6 years of age resume work as early as 6 am and close as late as 9 p.m at night. You can imagine a 6 years old child out on the streets as late as 9 p.m.
The risks involved in child labour is high as it exposes the child to several unpleasant experiences such as rape, as several child labourers have been raped, they are also exposed to kidnapers and ritualists.
Let us remember the words of Alexis Herman; “if we can’t begin to agree on fundamentals, such as the elimination of the most abusive forms of child labour, then we really are not ready to march forward into the future”. To develop as a nation, the social menace called child labour” should be tackled.
Many working children are exposed to dangerous and unhealthy environments. In August 2003, the Nigerian government formally adopted three International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions setting a minimum age for the employment of children. However, despite these contentions, child labour still appears to be on the increase across the country.
However, there are several reasons why child labour exists.
Poverty: Poverty is a major reason for child labour. So many parents who cannot afford to send their children to school, and cater for them, send them out to do menial jobs to earn money for the family.
The rate of poverty appears to be on the increase, and it has resulted in a rise in child labour in the country.
Illiteracy/barriers to education:
As a result of the fact that some parents are not educated, they do not see reasons to take their children to school, rather, they believe that their children should be involved in various jobs and trades in order to earn money for the family. Some parents see no value in education; hence, they do not see reasons why their children should be educated.
Also, some parents do not have the money to sponsor their children through school, and when the government does not make free education available to these category of children, they resort to engaging in all forms of jobs, thereby resulting in child labour.
Lack of proper enforcement of laws against child labour: Laws prohibiting child labour are not properly enforced, hence, those that send children under 18 years of age to do various kinds of job still perpetrate and perpetuate this act.
Culture and tradition: Some traditions encourage child labour. Tradition in which labour is seen as the most productive use of a child’s time. Hence, they encourage children going out to do all kinds of job, and then bring money to provide for the family.
Market demand: When the demand for goods and services is on the high side, employers hire people to assist. However, most employers prefer to hire children because they are cheaper than their adult counterparts, and they can be dispensed off quickly when market demand fluctuates. Also, children form an obedient workforce, children can be easily controlled by their employers, compared to adults. Therefore, these category of employers employ children, hence, leading to child labour.
Disaster: Disasters such as income shock, natural disasters (flood, hurricane, volcanic eruption, etc), economic and agricultural crises, diseases such as HIV/AIDs etc, can lead to child labour. When a parent has a terrible disease for example, and is unable to work to cater for the family, the child may drop out of school to begin to work just to be able to make money to provide for the family.
Disaster is also one of the numerous causes of child labour, as many children have resorted to engaging in menial jobs just to provide for the family as a result of one form of disaster or the other that affected their parents.
Despite the reasons why child labour continues to exist, it does not in any way undermine the effects it has on the child, and on the society at large.
Denies the child his/her right to childhood: Childhood experiences are usually full of fun, happiness, with the child playing with his/her peers at school, home. However, with child labour, the child is denied these unforgettable childhood moments, rather, the child is exposed to the hardships of life.
Denies the child the right to education: The child is denied his/her right to education as a result of him/her working to earn money, hence, he/she is unable to go to school there by, denying the child his/her right to education.
Exposes the child to various health conditions: The child is also susceptible to all forms of sicknesses and diseases. When the child is exposed to harsh weather conditions, involved in commercial sexual exploitation for money, it is an easy breed for various sicknesses and diseases.
Safety risks and hazards: The child is also prone to kidnappers, ritualists, and the likes. Some children leave home for work very early in the morning, and return late at night, thereby exposing them to various prevalent evils, such as kidnapping, ritual, rape, armed robbery, as these sets of people will not hesitate in taking these children, and using them for whatever purpose they want to.
However, there are suggested solutions in order to curb the menace of child labour in Nigeria.
Government should provide free education at all levels: The importance of education cannot be over-emphasized. Therefore, it is crucial that government provide free education at all levels, especially at the primary and secondary school levels.
Poverty is a major cause of child labours, parents who cannot afford to send their children to school, send them out to work. Hence, if the government can provide free education at all levels, especially at the primary and secondary school levels there will be an end to child labour in the country.
Poverty is a major cause of child labour, hence if the government can provide free education for these children, then, they will be in the classroom, rather than being at work.
Proper enforcement of laws against child labour: The laws prohibiting child labour should be properly enforced, and anyone who sends a child outside to go and work rather than being in school should be punished and face the wrath of the law.
Furthermore, when the laws proscribing child labour are adequately implemented, there will be a reduction, if not a total elimination of child labour in Nigeria.
Raise awareness to stop child labour: Awareness should be raise by the government at all levels, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and concerned individuals to stop child labour. This can be achieved through various campaigns, seminars, symposia, emphasizing the need to stop child labour in Nigeria. For instance, the World Day against Child Labour is celebrated on the 12th of June every year. It is an International Labour Organization (ILO) sanctioned holiday where they raise awareness against child labour all over the world.
Modification of some cultures and tradition: Cultures and tradition that permit children to go out to work should be re-visited and modified. Traditions that see child labour as the most productive use of a child’s time should be changed, and such cultures and tradition should be abolished.
Over-emphasis on education: There should be over-emphasis on education. Various campaigns should be organized, particularly in the north in order to enlighten parents on the need to send their children to school, and on the importance of education to their children, and to the society at large, rather than sending them out to work.
Child labour in Nigeria appears to be on the increase, but together, we can put a stop to it. The child is meant to learn, not to earn. The lives of these children are destroyed when child labour is employed.
Let us all remember that “children should have pens in their hands, not tools,” and let us all say a NO TO CHLD LABOUR IN NIGERIA”.
