Stakeholders in Ondo State have called for stronger enforcement of child protection laws and expanded social support programmes to tackle child labour and forced labour, particularly in agricultural and mining communities.
The call was made at a media town hall meeting organised by Kids & Teens Resources Centre and The Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (ROTDOW), in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), under the ACCEL Africa Phase II project.
The meeting, themed, “Advocating for Communities Free of Child Labour and Forced Labour,” brought together government officials, traditional rulers, labour unions, security agencies and civil society organisations to discuss strategies for ending child exploitation.
Speaking at the event, the National Project Coordinator of ILO/ACCEL Africa, Celine Oni, identified poverty as a major driver of child labour, particularly among rural households, and called for improved economic opportunities for vulnerable families.
Oni said the ILO was working with microfinance institutions, health insurance schemes and vocational training centres to improve household incomes and equip young people with employable skills. She also advocated a unified monitoring and reporting system to facilitate the identification and response to child labour cases across the state.
The State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olanike Mogboruko, described child labour and forced labour as threats to children's future and national development, assuring that the ministry would continue collaborating with relevant organisations to protect children's rights.
Also speaking, the founder of Kids & Teens Resources Centre, Mary Martin Falana, urged parents, religious leaders, traditional rulers, the media and civil society groups to work together, stressing that the fight against child exploitation required collective responsibility and sustained public enlightenment.
The Olu of Aponmu, Oba Olatunde Anthony Olasoji, and the Regent of Oke Agunla Community, Bolanle Olowokere, pledged the support of traditional institutions in monitoring their communities and discouraging the involvement of children in hazardous activities on cocoa farms and mining sites.
The Director of Guidance and Counselling in the Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Frances Ademuyiwa, disclosed plans to deploy an education task force to identify out-of-school children and facilitate their return to classrooms. She also announced a proposed Adopt-a-Child Policy to encourage individuals to sponsor the education of indigent children.
The State Coordinator of Civil Society Organisations, Alo Martins, called for community-based reporting committees, a toll-free child labour helpline and the full implementation of the National Action Plan on Child Labour. Similarly, the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Clement Fatuase, pledged the union's support for workplace sensitisation and collaborative enforcement.
Highlighting the achievements of the partnership, Olabisi Omolona of ROTDOW commended the state government and ILO for supporting the implementation of the ACCEL Africa Phase II project across seven communities in Ondo State.
She said the interventions had included enrolling out-of-school children in skills acquisition programmes, strengthening Village Savings and Loans Associations, providing occupational safety training and supporting vulnerable households with livelihood initiatives.
Omolona added that beneficiaries had also been registered in the social register and non-contributory health insurance scheme, while soft loans had been provided to support small businesses and improve household incomes.
She subsequently led participants in a symbolic demonstration, urging them to raise a red card against child labour as a collective commitment to ending the practice.
Another contributor, Olaronke Olajide, called for stronger media campaigns, including radio jingles, billboards, school outreaches and community engagements, following reports of young girls working on cocoa farms before dawn. She said sustained public enlightenment was necessary to change attitudes that expose children to exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Director of Child Development in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Mefun Tophas, disclosed that 84 children had been enrolled in the state government's care programme as of November 11, with about 58 receiving education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, while others were undergoing vocational training.
The Speaker of the Ondo State Third Children Parliament, Olamide Poroye, expressed concern over child labour in the state, citing an estimated 39.2 per cent prevalence among children aged between seven and 12. She called for stronger enforcement of child protection laws and supported the proposal to replace school labour days with sanitation days.
The Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government, Adeboye Adebare, represented by Adetunji Matthew, pledged increased grassroots sensitisation, while the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget assured stakeholders of continued support for efforts to eliminate child labour.
Also, Catherine Ogunjebi, who delivered the keynote message on behalf of the Solicitor-General and Administrative Secretary of the state Ministry of Justice, said child protection required effective law enforcement and cooperation among relevant institutions.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ondo State Council, Prince Leke Adegbite, represented by Ayodeji Alabi, urged participants to translate the resolutions reached at the meeting into concrete actions, reaffirming the media's commitment to promoting children's rights.
The stakeholders agreed that improved access to education, economic empowerment, social protection, community awareness and effective enforcement of existing laws were essential to ending child labour in Ondo State.
Tags
News
