ILO Canvasses Immediate Passage of 20-year-old ‘Labour Standards Bill’

*Says 4 in 10 Nigerian children aged 5-17 in child labour

Sunday Ehigiator

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on the Nigerian government to expedite the passage of the Labour Standards Bill, which has been in the works for over 20 years.
This is just as it revealed that 4 in 10 Nigerian children, aged 5 to 17, representing 39.2 per cent are trapped in child labour.

The organisation made this call at the ‘Engagement of editors for the Advocacy for the Enactment of the Labour Standard’s Bill’ event, held recently in Lagos State.
Speaking at the event, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, Vanessa Phala, expressed concerns that Nigeria’s Labour Act of 1971 has remained largely unchanged, despite minor updates in 2004 and 2014.

According to her, “This dated Act does not fully account for the contemporary realities of the Nigerian workplace, particularly overlooking the informal sector, where a significant portion of the population is employed.

“Much more is required to adequately secure the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work for the Employers and workers. Gender equality, workplace safety, and protections for those in the informal economy all demand urgent legislative attention.

“Child labour remains a deep-rooted challenge across many Nigerian communities, affecting millions of children who are compelled to abandon their childhood, education, and potential in favour of labour that often endangers their health and well-being.
“Particularly in rural areas, economic hardship pushes families to rely on their children to contribute to the household’s income, often in hazardous environments that violate their rights and rob them of a promising future.

“Globally, as noted in the 2021 ILO and UNICEF report, child labour has surged, with 160 million children affected. This worrying trend is most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a rising number of children as young as five engaged in labour, particularly in agriculture, which accounts for 70 per cent of child labour cases.

“In Nigeria, 39.2 per cent of children between five and 17 are in child labour, with 22.9 per cent exposed to hazards, according to a recent Nigeria Bureau of Statistics survey.
“This activity is supported by the ILO, through the Action against Child Labour in Agriculture in West Africa (ACLAWA). The ILO, through the ACLAWA, GALAB and ACCEL Africa projects”, she added, “had been working with local communities to reduce their vulnerabilities to child labour.
“Through the ACLAWA project, communities are being empowered to take ownership in the fight against child labour.

“We have established Community Child Labour Monitoring Committees, enabling local leaders to monitor, report, and mitigate child labour within their communities.
“These committees strengthened through training and resources, have become the first line of defence in identifying and addressing child labour at its source.

“However, legislative support remains essential to sustaining these community efforts. Without laws that protect the rights of all children, especially those in high-risk industries like agriculture, these localised victories cannot be scaled.”

Phala further said the Labour Standards Bill addresses this gap, by integrating comprehensive child labour protections and aligning with international standards to ensure that children’s rights are upheld nationwide.
“The comprehensive Labour Standards Bill, drafted and certified okay by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Employers’ Association (NECA), and Workers’ Associations (NLC and TUC), needs to progress.

“As affirmed by the tripartite partners in Nigeria, the Labour Standard Bill embodies extensive input and aligns with international labour standards.”

She however expressed fear that without the advocacy of influential voices, such as the media, the Bill risks further stalling.

As a result, the ILO Country chief canvassed the media support, and all other concerned stakeholders, for the speedy signing of the Bill into law.