Child Labour: CSOs want budgetary provision for less privileged children

Child Labour: CSOs want budgetary provision for less privileged children
By Mustapha Sumaila
Labour
Abuja, June 13, 2018 (NAN) The Network of Civil Society Organisations against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) on Wednesday urged governments at all levels to ensure adequate budgetary allocation and funding releases for less privileged children.
The National President of the coalition, Mr Adaramola Emmanuel, made the appeal in a statement to commemorate the 2018 World Day against Child Labour.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2002 set aside the June 12 as the World Day against Child Labour to focus attention on the global extent of child labour, and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.
Emmanuel said that poverty was the main cause of children being out of school, adding that improved government allocation will help cater for indigent children.
He said that people of reproductive age should also restrict child bearing to the exact number of children they could comfortably cater for.
“Today, Nigeria has about 16 million of her children working with about six million of them totally out of school.
“A common sight in cities and big towns in Nigeria today are children hawking during school hours. Is it that the leadership of our dear nation is unaware of this?
“The latest trend which is on the increase are children walking and working on our streets picking scrap metals, plastics, cardboards and other recyclable materials, yet we pretend that all is normal,’’ the NACTAL president said.
He called on all stakeholders to take quick, decisive and positive action at eradicating child labour in the country.
Emmanuel urged state governments to enforce and implement the Child Rights Act, and called on states that were yet to pass the law to expedite action on it to preserve the future generation.
“I urge governments not to play lip service with education but rather to make basic education affordable or totally free for all children.
“There is need to set up a task force that will remove children from streets and put them in schools, just like what happened in the United States in the mid-1990s.
“There is urgent need for labour officers to commence close monitoring of construction sites, factories and cottage industries with sanctions for anyone engaging children as workers,’’ the child advocate said.
According to him, NACTAL has been on the forefront of eradication of child labour in Nigeria, and conducted different activities including rescue and rehabilitation of child labour and abuse victims.
Emmanuel added that the coalition also engaged in awareness creation, training of actors and psychosocial support for both victims and care givers.
“This, we shall continue to do through our over 100 member organisations spread across the Nigeria,’’ he assured.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NACTAL is the coalition of NGOs working in the thematic areas of human trafficking, abuse and labour in Nigeria. (NAN)
MS/COF/MST
Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Muhammad Suleiman Tola