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Metro

Labour Ministry frowns at underage mine workers

Labour Ministry frowns at underage mine workers

Child labour

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, July 30, 2019 (NAN) The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr William Alo, has expressed concern over continued use of children as mine workers in some parts of the country.

Alo, who said the Federal Government would no longer tolerate such, expressed Nigeria’s commitment to the elimination of child labour in the country.

The permanent secretary was speaking at the Validation Meeting for the National Plan of Action for the Accelerating Actions for the Elimination of Child Labour in the Supply Chain (ACCEL Africa) project.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Abuja.

ACCEL Africa project is targeted at accelerating actions in the elimination of child labour in some supply chains in Africa. It is being piloted in six countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Malawi, Mali and Nigeria.

Alo was represented by the Deputy Director, Inspectorate Department of the ministry, Mr Dauda Ajuwon.

The permanent secretary also called for more innovative ways to tackle child labour in the global supply chains, stressing the need to strengthen public policies to end the scourge.

Alo said there was a need for community empowerment as well as strengthened partnership with the private sector in the country.

“I want to assure you of Nigeria’s commitment to the elimination of child labour in the country, while we are not yet there, Nigeria has made a significant progress in this direction in recent times.

“Only last week, we had a symposium as part of activities in commemoration of the World Day against child labour.

”Earlier, there was a street and market rally to create awareness and sensitise the public on the evils of child labour in the society,” he said.

He recalled that at the strategic meeting held three months ago, participants identified various outcomes, outputs and activities as work plan for the implementation of the ACCEL Africa Project in Nigeria.

He, however, said the task at the meeting was to fine-tune review and finalise the work plan to become instruments for collective actions and basis for a more coordinated and pragmatic approach in harmonising roles and scaling up interventions.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Mua’azu Abdulkadir, represented by Mr Patrick Ojeka, said child labour cuts across all sectors, with mining and agriculture being part of the worst form of child labour.

He said it was no longer acceptable for children to work in hazardous conditions such as in mining, agriculture and construction.

According to him, the future of a country lies in the development and capacity building of its children.

“Consequently, the insurgents have been ravaging some parts of the country and the continent at large; a lot of children who are now displaced have found themselves in mining and agriculture.

“While majority of them are from within the country, some migrated across countries seeking for survival and ended up in hazardous jobs especially mining,” Abdulkadir said.

He said the ACCEL Africa project in Nigeria had its focus on eliminating child labour in supply chains in Artisanal Gold Mining and Cocoa.

He said that the ministry had just started its campaign project tagged ‘Eliminating Child Labour through Women Empowerment’.

Abdulkadir said the campaign was focused on returning children in mine host communities to schools by providing mine host community schools with conducive environment for learning.

He, however, urged ILO to extend the project to other ministries and other states of the federation, saying that child labour menace cut across and can be found in the 36 states including FCT.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Mohammed Umar, represented by Deputy Director of Human Resources, Mrs Amina Kangiwa, said the Ministry was ready to collaborate with ILO and other stakeholders to move for the implementation of ACCEL Africa.

The Director of ILO, Country Office, Mr Dennis Zulu who was represented by the National Project Coordinator, Mrs Agatha Kolawole said the meeting was a follow up and finalisation to the national and states consultations held in May in Abuja, June in Akure and Minna.

He said the outcomes, outputs and activities identified in May and June would be developed into a draft plan of action to be presented for validation.

NAN recalls that in 2010, unregulated small-scale mining in the northern state of Zamfara gave rise to an epidemic of childhood lead poisoning, with at least four hundred children under the age of five dying within a six-month period.

Despite the efforts of development, medical, and environmental experts both nationally and globally, lead contamination continues to afflict large numbers of children. (NAN)
TAK/IAA/AFA
Edited by Isaac Aregbesola/Felix Ajide
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Metro

FG vows to fight cultural practices promoting child labour

 

Labour

By Tosin Kolade

Abuja, July 25, 2019 (NAN) The Federal Government has vowed to fight cultural practices promoting child labour, and declared that nothing would be spared in the war against the menace.

The apex government’s stance is contained in a speech delivered by Mr William Alo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, on Thursday in Abuja, at a symposium to commemorate the 2019 World Day Against Child Labour.

“Domestic and agricultural activities in Nigerian societies are culturally reserved for children as social instruments for child training and preparation for adulthood, but government will not accept a situation where some individuals use these cultures to deprive the child of his or her education,” he said.

Alo called on all stakeholders to key into the new innovative ways employed by government to accelerate the pace of progress already made to ensure that the menace was fought to a standstill.

While describing the annual event as an opportunity for stakeholders to share their achievements, commitments and challenges in the fight against child labour, Alo stressed that practical steps must be taken to prevent and respond to child labour by addressing its root cause, especially poverty.

He called on government at all levels to prioritise  provisions of free and qualitative basic education to rural communities and urban areas where child labour was endemic.

The permanent secretary said that parents, especially mothers, should be trained on skills that would  provide alternative means of livelihood to increase family income and reduce poverty.

“Parents and care givers should be trained on skills to improve means of livelihood so as to allow children gain education,” he said.

He also called on trade unions to play a central role in fighting the menace by promoting safe and healthy working conditions in work places, as well as mainstream child labour concerns in collective bargaining agreements.

“While Nigeria has recorded modest progress in combating this menace in recent past, we have fallen short of addressing the full scale and scope of the problem.

“A substantial amount should be allocated in our state and national budgets for the fight against child labour,” he opined.

Similarly, the Country Director,  International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Dennis Zulu, called for renewed commitment and unity of effort from all actors in Nigeria, especially governments, workers, employers, enterprises, civil society organisations and donors, toward ratifying and implementing the conventions.

He urged stakeholders to take immediate action to address challenges inhibiting the elimination of all forms of child labour by 2025.

“The fight for elimination of the worst forms of child labour in Nigeria requires all hands on deck,” he said.

He also commended the Ministry of Labour and National Steering Committee on Elimination of Child Labour for their dogged commitment to eliminating the menace in Nigeria.

The World Day Against Child Labour was initiated by ILO in 2002 to focus attention on global extent of child labour and efforts needed to eliminate the menace.

This year’s theme is: “Children Should Not Work On Fields But On Dreams”. (NAN)

TAK/AO/ETS

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Edited by Angela Okisor and Ephraims Sheyin

Metro

FG seeks partnership to curb child labour

Partnership
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, July 23, 2019 (NAN) The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr William Alo, has called for renewed partnership from all stakeholders to curb increasing rate of child labour in the country.

Alo made this call at a sensitisation rally to commemorate the 2019 World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) in Nigeria held in Abuja.

According to him, child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives childhood, interferes with children ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful.

He noted that child Labour, as it relates to market setting, was work done in the market that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity.

He said this was harmful to their physical, moral and mental development and listed hawking in the market, begging using children, children carrying heavy load as well as wheelbarrow pushing as infringement on their rights.

“These activities as simple as they may look, affect the child’s well-being and dignity. These children are supposed to be in school in order to fulfill their dreams and not in market places working until they reach a certain age.

“Even if they have to be in market places assisting their parents/guardians, they should not be denied basic education at least up to junior secondary school level.

“We therefore enjoin the authorities of this market to help us and join in the fight against child labour by ensuring that Child Labour is not allowed in the market and its environs’’.

The permanent secretary called for stakeholders commitment by taking practical steps to ensure that children were in school or attend vocational training; and report such incidences of Child Labour to the ministry for action.

The Country Director, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Nigeria, Mr Dennis Zulu, noted that the organisation had been championing policies and programmes to fight child labour in the country.

He said that while Nigeria had ratified and domesticated several United Nations and ILO Conventions, statistics indicated that about 43 per cent of Nigerian children aged between five and 10 years were involved in child labour.

According to him, the children are involved in the worst form of child labour.

He added that this was not covered by any of Nigeria’s legislations and policies addressing forced labour, child labour, and human trafficking.

He said it was high time Nigeria stopped paying lip service to the fight against child labour.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Mu’azu Abdulkadir, said the ministry was addressing Child Labour through various activities including sensitisation programmes to inform miners of its dangers.

He said the ministry was also working on a campaign to address child labour through female empowerment.

He also noted that Nigeria was committed to being a pathfinder country for the alliance 8.7 which was launched in May in Nigeria.

Alliance 8.7 aims at a world without forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour.

The World Day against Child Labour was established by the ILO in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. (NAN)
TAK/GOM/IS
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Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Ismail Abdulaziz

Health

Child labour: NAPTIP commences advocacy on child protection

Child labour: NAPTIP commences advocacy on child protection
By Mustapha Sumaila
Labour
Abuja, June 14, 2018 (NAN) The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has commenced intensive and sustained advocacy with child protection stakeholders across the country.
The Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of NAPTIP, Mrs Stella Nezan, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Nezan explained that the initiative was to enhance the nationwide domestication and the effective implementation of the contents of the Child Rights Act.
She said that the advocacy was meant to interface with the National Assembly, State Governors, State Houses of Assembly, the Judiciary and relevant professional bodies.
According to her, others are Diplomatic communities, the Media, Civil Society organisations and International partners.
In a message to mark the 2018 World Against Child Labour Day, Nezan quoted the Director-General of NAPTIP, Ms Julie Okah-Donli, saying that the agency is focused on protection of children from trafficking, child labour and abuse.
According to her, the agency commenced purposeful advocacy nationwide to enhance the understanding and implementation of the Child Rights Act.
“It is sad to note that many individuals, organisations and even a group of people have continued to hide under one form of corporate protection or the other to abuse children.
“I just received some concerned youths few hours ago and their testimonies about the level of child abuse and violation by some highly placed individuals were heartbreaking.
“It has come to the knowledge of the agency that even some of our children who were believed to be protected under the custody of revered educational institutions are the worst victims.
“It was gathered that administrators of those schools have continued to feast on the innocent children at will.
“The worst scenario is the case of children rescued from some difficult environments due to insurgency who are further subjected to unimaginable level of sexual abuse and exploitation by the very personalities that have sworn to protect them.
“The big question that is begging for answer is why is it that when there is a global economic recession and financial crunch, it is the child that is given out to work as domestic helpers and in hazardous places and he or she bears the brunt?
“Why is it that when there is a sexual desire within the family, it is the child that is sacrificed? This must change,” she said.
According to the NAPTIP boss, the agency has commenced a nationwide advocacy to drum up massive support for the accelerated implementation and domestication of Child Rights Act across the country.
“Already, we have kicked off consultations with stakeholders at all levels.
“Our operatives have been dispatched to those areas and establishments where the rights of Nigerian children are being taken for granted.
“These include those confined institutions, quarries, cocoa plantations and other areas,” she explained.
The spokesperson stated that Okah-Donli called on policy makers across the country to consider the plight of children at the formation of any policy.
She said that the director-general also enjoined children to always speak out when they were abused so that help could come their way speedily. (NAN)
MS/ELLA/MST
Edited by Ella Anokam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Audio Attached: Advocate urges FG to tackle child labour through parental welfare

NAN-H-11

Child labour

By Oluwabukola Akanni

Ibadan, June 13, 2017 (NAN) A child’s rights and protection advocate, Mr Taiwo Akinlami, has called on the Federal Government to see to the welfare of parents as a way of ending child labour and trafficking.

 

Akinlami, a Lagos-based lawyer and Founder, Taiwo Akinlami Academy, made the call in Ibadan on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) against the backdrop of the 2017 UN Word Day Against Child Labour.

 

  • Cue in audio (Akinlami)

 

“Our country does not have governance problem; our country does not have religious problem; it does not have marriage problem.

 

“Our country is not at the war front except for the pockets of crises we find in the North, Boko Haram which has been addressed to a very large extent.

 

“We have only one problem mismanaged childhood manifesting in dysfunctional adulthood.

 

“You were a child before who you are today is a function of how you were raised.

 

“We need to tackle the issue of poverty headlong. Once the existence of a people is abused, you don’t expect them not to abuse their children because you give what you have; you cannot give what you do not have.

 

“One of the ways by which you can solve child labour is by empowering parents through what they call social protection.

 

“So the problem is social protection for parents that are not well to do, for parents that do not know where the next meal is coming from because one of the responsibilities of the state is to empower parents to be able to take care of their children.

 

“UNESCO says Nigeria holds the world record in the highest number of children out of school; it speaks to lack of planning, lack of actual notice of children.

 

“It does not work either as a primary care giver or secondary care giver to bring children to this world to this world without a plan of how to take care of them.’’

 

  • Cue out audio

 

NAN reports that the theme for the year is titled `The Impact of Conflicts and Disasters on Child Labour’. (NAN)

BA/YEE

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

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General news

AUDIO: ILO official advocates free education in Nigeria to eliminate child labour

NAN-H-39

Education

By Joan Nwagwu

Abuja, June 12, 2017 (NAN) Free education for the Nigerian children has the capacity to eliminate child labour in the country, an official of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Abuja, has said.

 

ILO’s Focal Person for Child Labour, Mrs Agatha Kolawole, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday against the backdrop of the World Day Against Child Labour, celebrated on every June 12.

 

Kolawole described the 2017 theme for the day “In Conflicts and Disasters, Protect Children from Child Labour’’, as a call to protect children displaced by conflicts in the country.

 

Cue in audio

 

“For now, a lot has been done by the Nigerian government; we have legislation on child labour, a national policy on the elimination of child labour which has been in existence in Nigeria.

 

“So, these are relevant tools for enforcing and ensuring that children are protected.

 

“We have the Child Rights Act and the Labour Act; so we actually have a good enabling legislative environment that will help the children.

 

“But we also know that we have a lot of gaps that need to be considered, especially in the educational sector.

 

“We need the government to ensure totally free education which will help children to actually attend school – at least the basic education should be free, free from all forms of fees.

 

“Sometimes some (states) governments talks about free education, but we know some of these hidden fees send so many children out of school.’’

 

Cue out audio

 

Kolawole stressed the need for relevant agencies to enforce the child rights act to eliminate child labour.

 

According to her, this has become imperative as a lot of children are found in jobs that do not allow them to realise their potentials, hence parents lack the capacity to keep them in school.

 

“And then enforcement of the act, we need enforcement. We need the law enforcement officers to be pro active in their action.

 

“They should go out there and identify victims of child labour and protect them.’’

 

 

The focal person said it is not the responsibility of the child to provide for the home, noting that many parents abused their children by making them work to support the family.

 

She said ILO would continue to support capacity building for the law enforcement agency on the elimination of child labour in the country.

 

Kolawole noted that many children had been displaced and were currently in the Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) camps due to conflicts and insurgency.

 

She said ILO was collaborating with Plan International to develop toolkits to support children needs in an emergency situation.

 

“So, with the toolkits we have the plan to train social workers, law enforcement officers, teachers, care givers, on how to protect children in an emergency, conflict or disaster situation.’’ (NAN)

JAN/LAB/YEE

Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmnuel Yashim

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