According to the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), enforcing laws against child labor is vital to eliminating the problem in the country.
Its Chairman, Mrs Funmi Sessi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that offenders of child labor should also be prosecuted.

“To deter others who might wish to use minors for child labor, people should respect the law of the land and punish offenders severely,” Sessi stated.
The chairman emphasized that providing education to youngsters will help them leave the streets and secure their future.
She claimed that NLC had worked hard to address child labor by advocating for causes and informing the relevant authorities, such as the Federal Ministry of Labor.

Sessi urged the administration to send the Labour Standard Bill to the National Assembly as soon as possible in order to protect the youth’s future.

“The National Assembly should also enact the bill into law as soon as possible to allow for greater actions against child labor.

“Then there will be clearer and better opportunities for children and youths.

Based on a National Bureau for Statistics (NBS) research on child labor, 30.3 percent of Nigeria’s 216 million people are 17 years of age or younger.
50.5 percent of Nigerian children are engaged in economic activities, and 39.2 (24.6 million) are engaged in child labor, according to the 2022 NBS data.
According to the same report, 22.9 percent of children in Nigeria labour in dangerous jobs. (Nan)