The world has pulled 100 million children out of labour since 2000. Yet in Nigeria, a rising birthrate and stalling reforms risk undoing that progress and leaving a generation behind.
As the world marks a return to progress in the fight against child labour, Nigeria finds itself at the heart of a complex, regional struggle. The latest Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024 report, published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, sheds light on encouraging global trends yet it also highlights Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, as the region with the highest number of children in child labour.
According to the report, nearly 138 million children globally are engaged in child labour, with over 87 million of them in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Nigeria, as the most populous country in the region, plays a significant role in these statistics. Despite laudable national and regional efforts, Nigeria’s rapidly growing child population and persistent economic and educational challenges mean the absolute number of children in child labour has not significantly decreased.
The report underscores a 10% decline in child labour prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa since 2020, a sign of progress. Yet, due to high birth rates and insufficient coverage of social services, the total number of child labourers remains unchanged. In Nigeria, where agriculture still dominates many rural economies, children are often found working in farms, markets, and informal industries, sometimes at the cost of their education and well-being.
Hazardous work, defined by the ILO as any work likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children, accounts for a significant portion of child labour in Nigeria and across the region. Alarmingly, nearly one in five children in hazardous work globally is under 12.
Education is one of the most powerful antidotes to child labour, yet Nigeria faces steep challenges in this area. The report reveals that nearly 60% of adolescents aged 15 to 17 engaged in child labour globally are not attending school, a trend mirrored in parts of Nigeria where insecurity, teacher shortages, and long distances to schools keep children away from classrooms.
According to UNICEF Nigeria, an estimated 10.5 million children are out of school, many of whom are drawn into labour to support their families.
The report warns that if current trends continue, Sub-Saharan Africa could see its child labour numbers surpass 100 million by 2030. Nigeria, expected to become the world’s third most populous country by then, is at the epicenter of this demographic pressure.
“Even as child labour prevalence falls, the sheer size of the growing child population means more children risk being pushed into work — especially if investments in education, healthcare, and social protection do not keep pace,” the report notes.
The Nigerian government has made commitments to reduce child labour, including adopting the National Policy on Child Labour and aligning with the ILO’s international conventions. There have also been targeted interventions in education and poverty reduction, such as the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program and conditional cash transfer schemes.
But the report is a clear reminder that efforts must be scaled up. The ILO and UNICEF stress the importance of universal access to quality education, strengthened legal frameworks, and expanded social protection to protect children from exploitative work.
For Nigeria, ending child labour is not only a matter of fulfilling international obligations — it is a moral and economic imperative. As the country seeks to harness its youthful population for future growth, ensuring that children learn rather than labour is crucial.
“Child labour robs children of their potential, perpetuates cycles of poverty, and undermines national development,” the report concludes. “Nigeria’s path forward must center on protecting its children because the stakes are nothing less than the future.”