FG Warns Against Child Labour In Mining, Other Sectors

The federal government on Tuesday warned that child labour will not be tolerated in Nigeria, describing the practice as a crime and urging relevant government agencies to promptly report cases involving children in hazardous work, including mining, agriculture, construction and other sectors.

The permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Kamil Shoretire gave the warning at a workshop in Abuja where he also clarified the roles of ministries, departments and agencies in monitoring and enforcing child labour regulations.

He said while the ministry of labour and employment has a clear policy on the elimination of child labour, responsibility for monitoring specialised sectors such as mining rests primarily with agencies and authorities directly responsible for regulating those activities.

According to him, legal mining operations are subject to prescribed criteria, while cases involving illegal mining should be reported by local and state authorities to enable the appropriate security agencies to intervene.

The latest available national survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), show that 24.7 million children aged five to 17, representing 39.2 per cent, were engaged in child labour in 2022, while 14.4 million, 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.

Nigeria’s legal framework also prohibits child labour and hazardous work. Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution protects the dignity of the human person, while the Child Rights Act 2003, particularly Section 28, prohibits children from hazardous employment. Nigeria has also ratified ILO Conventions 138 on minimum age and 182 on the worst forms of child labour, which require measures to eliminate child labour and protect children from hazardous work.

The permanent secretary said the ministry would, however, take necessary action whenever cases of child labour are brought to its attention, particularly where children are subjected to street trading, hazardous domestic work and other forms of exploitation.

He noted that the government operates through different ministries, departments and agencies with distinct responsibilities, stressing that effective enforcement of the national policy on the elimination of child labour requires collaboration among the relevant institutions.

“For us in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, our child labour policy is very clear. Child labour will not be tolerated, it is a crime.

If it is illegal mining, it is incumbent on the local government and state governments to report such and then invite the security agencies to come in.

To see a child carrying cement and climbing four or five stories and coming up when the child is supposed to be in school, he’s supposed to be in a safe environment, supposed to be in a safe place where he’s being cared for, not to take responsibility of another, ” he said.

He said the recent launch of the national child labour policy by the President Bola Tinubu underscored the administration’s commitment to protecting children from hazardous work and ensuring that they remain in safe environments and in school.

The permanent secretary also cited construction sites and agriculture as another area requiring vigilance, saying children should not be allowed to carry cement, metals or other heavy materials, particularly on multi-storey building projects.

He urged regulatory agencies responsible for such sites to report violations when detected, rather than assuming that enforcement was solely the responsibility of the labour ministry.

The workshop also focused on strengthening the capacity of journalists to cover emerging issues in 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.

The permanent secretary said responsible l journalism was essential to promoting industrial peace, noting that inaccurate or sensational reporting could heighten tensions and undermine efforts at reconciliation.

He urged journalists to distinguish between facts, allegations, opinions and interpretations, while reporting labour and employment matters with accuracy, fairness and objectivity.

He said the ministry regarded the media as a strategic partner in promoting sound labour administration, accountability and public understanding of government policies and interventions in the sector.