NEWS
15m Kids Forced Into Child Labor Globally, Says FG
The International Labour Organization (ILO) expressed its concern over the fact that approximately 160 million children around the world are involved in child labor.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, disclosed that 15 million children are currently engaged in this practice. Daju stated that the government is committed to reducing, if not completely eradicating, child and forced labor and is actively taking steps towards achieving this goal.
She noted that children who were seen as leaders of the future ought, not to be exposed to such practices at a tender age but rather shown love and properly catered for, in the interest of the country.
Daju said: “Child labour is a multi dimensional development concern. It cuts across various lines: economic, social, religious, cultural and regional divides.
”The worst forms of child labour constitute exploitation and gross violation of human rights for both boys and girls, causing physical, emotional, and mental consequences for the child. Such violations take place at the household level, community level, institutions, and business areas.
“In Nigeria, child labour has become a scourge. Several children find themselves on the streets, forced to make a living, with others employed in industrial complexes and hazardous environments.
“This is attributable to various factors, such as poverty, ignorance, unemployment, absence of social security for the vulnerable, misinterpretation of cultural and religious beliefs and weak institutional framework.
“Statistics reveal that there are no fewer than 15 million child workers in Nigeria; this is according to the ILO, with the UN warning that the absence of mitigating strategies could see an exponential increase in the number of children engaged in child labour.”
This, of course, will certainly have massive implications for the future.
“As a country however, we take pride in stating that giant strides have been made in dealing with this menace, most notably the adoption and ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182 on Minimum Age and Worst forms of Child Labour respectively; the passage of the Child Rights Act into law to domesticate the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by 35 state governments and the FCT; the review and the validation of the National Policy on Child Labour and the National Action Plan on the Elimination of Child Labour, Prohibition and Elimination of Forced Labour, Modern Slavery, and Human Trafficking in workplaces spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, amongst many other achievements.”
Similarly, the International Labour Organization, ILO, laments the fact that about 160 million children were currently actively engaged in child labour globally.
The Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Ms Venessa Phala, who disclosed this at a stakeholders meetibng in Abuja weekend, said children had a right to better lives than engage in forced labour practices just to shore up income on behalf of their parents.
Phala argued that the practice of engaging under-aged children in eking out a living runs contrary to ILO Convention on the World of Work.
She said: “We all know that the number of children engaging in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide, which is represents an increase of 8.4 million children when compared with the last report.
“In eradicating the scourge of child labour and force labour in Nigeria, concerted efforts are required from all stakeholders, part of which is the development of monitoring infrastructure to determine and measure its magnitude, distribution, dimensions and characteristics at the national and sub-national levels.”
The Osun State Executive Council has approved the appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi, a United Kingdom based IT Engineer as the Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle in Obokun Local Government.
The Council also approved five other new kings and elevation of two others to part two chiefs.
This was detailed in a government house statement in Osogbo, on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi.
The new king who studied Office and Information Management at Lead City University Ibadan, Nigeria before his sojourn abroad, is an entrepreneur and business owner who invested in the hospitality and the agricultural industry.
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Other approved new kings are Prince Emmanuel Adesokan Ayoola as the Oluwaro of Iwaro in Ife North Local Government Area and Prince Kazeem Deji Ogungbe as Oniwata of Iwata in Irewole Local Government.
In the same vein, the Council approved the elevation of Baale Owajigbo of Ejigbo-Orangun; Baale Owamagbon of Ila, Baale Owafaye of Obalogbo-Ila (Ila Traditional Council); Baale Osi Okero-Ife, Baale Mayowa Ifegunle-Ife; Olu of Apatalami-Ife; Baale Ayede Temidire Town; Baale Akingbade of Ayetutu Ipoye-Ife (Ife Traditional Council).
Other elevations include the Looyin of Olodo Okebode-Ijesa; Ologbese of Ogbese (Atakunmosa West); Alaye Daramola-Ijesa (Atakunmosa East); Baale of Ajitena (Ejigbo Traditional Council) and Olaota of Osunwoyin (Ayedire Local Government) to Part II (Recognized) Status of The Chief’s Law, Cap.25, Laws of The Osun State, 2002.
The Council, presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke also approved the White Paper on the Report of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will not approve admissions for the Law programme at several Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.
This follows a suspension order from the Council of Legal Education (CLE) regarding the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programme at the affected institutions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that no admissions would be granted to candidates seeking to enroll in Law programmes at the universities listed below.
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The suspension is part of ongoing measures to regulate and standardize legal education in the country.
Benjamin stated, “JAMB will not approve any admissions for candidates seeking to enroll in the Law programme at the affected universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.”
The institutions impacted by the suspension include:
Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Kwara State
- Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State
- Redeemers University, Ede, Osun State
- Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State
- Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State
- Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State
- Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State
Furthermore, the Nigerian Police Academy in Wudil, Kano State, will see its Law programme suspended for an extended period.
Benjamin further elaborated, “Please note that the suspension of the Law programme at the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, will last for two academic sessions: specifically, the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 sessions.”
JAMB has urged prospective students to take note of these changes when making their application decisions for the upcoming academic year.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans for a nationwide protest on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in response to a recent telecommunications tariff hike.
The protest comes after the Federal Government approved a 50% increase, following telecom operators’ initial request for a 100% hike.
The announcement was made following an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting on Wednesday, where NLC President Joe Ajaero strongly criticized the hike.
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He called it “insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace, who are already burdened by worsening economic hardship.”
In a statement, Ajaero condemned the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) decision to approve the increase, calling it a harsh blow to citizens already grappling with the effects of rising costs across multiple sectors.
He emphasized that the 50% tariff hike was too much for the Nigerian people, particularly those earning the minimum wage of N70,000 per month.
Ajaero explained that the protest rally on February 4 would serve as a warning to the government, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction among Nigerians who have already faced high petrol prices, soaring food costs, electricity tariff hikes, and rising inflation.
“All NLC affiliates and state councils are directed to begin full mobilisation in preparation for the nationwide protest rally,” Ajaero said. He urged civil society groups to join the movement, calling on workers, the informal sector, and the general public to stand in solidarity against the tariff hike.
The NLC also issued a demand for the immediate suspension of the tariff hike and called for meaningful dialogue with the Federal Government, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the National Assembly.
Ajaero warned that if the hike is not reversed, the NLC would consider escalating its actions, including a possible nationwide boycott of telecommunication services.
“The NLC remains committed to safeguarding the interests of Nigerian workers and citizens,” Ajaero asserted. “We will not relent in our struggle against policies that undermine the welfare and dignity of our people.”
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