Child labour: NGO tasks governments on child education

Cynthia Abazie, Manager, Society of British Council, Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, has advised the three tiers of government to invest more in child education in the country.

Abazie told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday on the 2016 World Day Against Child Labour that it was a panacea to eliminate child labour.

According to her, there is the need to invest in children education, particularly girl-child, to address cases of child labour and abuses.

“Government must give proper attention to investment in the education of Nigerian child; no matter how we want to see it, children are the future of the nation.

“It is time to empower the children through education; educating young people is never a waste, it is an investment,” Abazie said.

She decried the increased involvement of girls and boys in menial jobs that deprived them of receiving adequate education, saying that it was a violation of their rights.

She mentioned forms of child labour to include working in hazardous environment, slavery, forced labour, drug trafficking, prostitution and armed conflict.

She urged governments at all levels to establish quality primary and secondary schools for young people to keep away from nefarious activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that June 12 is observed globally as World Day Against Child Labour. The theme of 2016 celebration is End Child Labour – it is everyone’s business”.

The day was established by the International Labour Organisation in 2002 to create awareness about the dangers of child labour and ways to eliminate them.