FG Orders Halt to Child Labour in Mining, Construction, Agriculture

The Federal Government has declared child labour unacceptable in Nigeria and directed relevant government agencies to immediately report cases involving children engaged in hazardous work, particularly in mining, agriculture and construction.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Kamil Shoretire, gave the directive at a training workshop for labour reporters organised by the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) in Abuja.

Shoretire said the ministry had a clear policy aimed at eliminating child labour, stressing that specialised sectors such as mining must also be monitored by the agencies responsible for regulating them.

He explained that legal mining operations must comply with prescribed safety standards, while local and state authorities are expected to report illegal mining activities to enable security agencies to take appropriate action.

According to the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey, 24.7 million Nigerian children aged between five and 17, representing 39.2 per cent, were engaged in child labour in 2022. The survey also found that 14.4 million children, or 22.9 per cent, were involved in hazardous work.

Child labour was higher in rural areas, at 44.8 per cent, compared with 30 per cent in urban areas.

Shoretire said the government would take appropriate action whenever cases of child labour were reported, particularly where children were involved in street trading, hazardous domestic work or other forms of exploitation.

He warned against exposing children to dangerous activities on construction sites, including carrying cement, metals and other heavy materials, especially on multi-storey building projects.

“Child labour will not be tolerated; it is a crime,” Shoretire said, adding that illegal mining activities should be reported by local and state authorities so that security agencies could intervene.

He said the recent launch of the National Child Labour Policy by President Bola Tinubu demonstrated the administration’s commitment to protecting children from hazardous work and ensuring that they remained in safe environments and attended school.

Nigeria’s legal framework prohibits child labour and hazardous employment. Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution protects human dignity, while Section 28 of the Child Rights Act 2003 prohibits children from hazardous employment.

Nigeria has also ratified International Labour Organisation Conventions 138 and 182, which address minimum working age and the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

The workshop also addressed emerging issues affecting the world of work, including artificial intelligence, the gig and platform economy, social security, migration and labour mobility, occupational safety and health, skills development and the future of work.

Shoretire urged journalists to report labour-related issues accurately and objectively, warning that sensational or inaccurate reporting could increase tensions and undermine reconciliation efforts.

He encouraged reporters to clearly distinguish between facts, allegations, opinions and interpretations when covering labour and employment matters.

Earlier, the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Annah Daniel, described the workshop as timely, noting that the changing nature of work had increased the need for accurate reporting on labour-related issues.

She said labour reporting served as a link between government policies, workers, employers and the wider public, adding that journalists had an important role in promoting decent work, industrial harmony and public understanding of labour policies.

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