Ondo stakeholders unite against child labour, seek stronger protection for children

By Tolulope Eniola

The founder of Kids and Teens Resource Centre, a civil society organisation, Mr Martin Mary-Falana, has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, traditional institutions, labour unions, civil society organisations and communities to eradicate child labour and protect children from exploitation in Ondo State.

The call was made during the Stakeholders and media town hall meeting with the theme” Advocating for communities free of child labour and forced labour” which brought together representatives of government ministries, international organisations, security agencies, traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders.

Falana said addressing child labour required the collaboration of all stakeholders, including community leaders, religious leaders, civil society organisations, trade unions and parents.

He stressed the importance of involving the media in the campaign, noting that effective awareness and community engagement were essential to eradicating the practice.

He urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that everyone understood their roles in the fight against child labour.

“Child labour is not an issue that can be addressed by an individual alone. It requires collective responsibility. We must all stand up against it and say no to child labour,” he said.

Similarly, the National Project Coordinator of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)/ACCEL Africa, Mrs. Celine Oni, highlighted the organisation’s interventions to address child labour in cocoa and artisanal gold mining supply chains through social protection, occupational safety and livelihood support.

Oni explained that poverty remained a major factor pushing rural households towards child labour, stressing the need to strengthen economic opportunities for vulnerable families.

She disclosed that the organisation was partnering with microfinance banks, health insurance schemes and vocational training institutions to improve household livelihoods and provide young people with employable skills.

She also called for the establishment of a unified child labour monitoring and reporting system across Ondo State to ensure effective identification, documentation and response to cases of child exploitation.

Ondo State Controller of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs. Olanike Mogboruko, described child labour and forced labour as serious threats that deprive children of their future and undermine national development.

She said the project provided an important platform for collective action, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to create communities where children could access education, enjoy their childhood and pursue their dreams while adults engage in decent work.

From the traditional institution’s angle, the Olu of Aponmu, Oba Olatunde Anthony Olasoji and the Regent of Oke Agunla Community, Bolanle Olowokere, pledged the support of traditional rulers in monitoring their communities and protecting children from hazardous activities on cocoa farms and mining sites.

While acknowledging farming as a major source of livelihood for many families, they stressed that teaching children the value of hard work should not be confused with exposing them to activities that endanger their health or deprive them of education.

They urged parents and farm owners to take advantage of available vocational training, health insurance and social protection programmes.

The Director of Guidance and Counselling, Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Frances Ademuyiwa, announced plans to deploy an education task force to monitor streets and communities, identify out-of-school children and ensure their return to formal education.

She also introduced the proposed Adopt a Child Policy, which encourages financially capable individuals to sponsor the education of indigent children from primary school through university.

Ademuyiwa assured that the ministry would continue to collaborate with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations to address child exploitation and improve school enrollment.

Also speaking, the Ondo State Statistician-General, Mr. Olusola Sunday Ajayi, identified crop production, including cocoa farming, as a major contributor to the state’s economy, noting that economic pressures in agricultural communities could contribute to the prevalence of child labour.

He said the Ondo State Bureau of Statistics was prepared to provide reliable data to support evidence-based policies and interventions, calling for a community-driven approach involving government agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and religious leaders.

The State Coordinator of Civil Society Organisations, Comrade Alo Martins, advocated stronger grassroots mechanisms to tackle the menace, including community-based reporting committees, public awareness campaigns and the full implementation of the National Action Plan on child labour.

He also called for the establishment of a toll-free child labour helpline, improved coordination among relevant agencies and expanded economic support for vulnerable households.

In his remarks, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Clement Fatuase, described child labour as a threat to children’s dignity, safety and future, as well as a violation of the principles of decent work.

He pledged the union’s support for the state government, the ILO and civil society organisations through workplace sensitisation, advocacy and collaborative enforcement efforts.

The State Lead of JPH, Mr. Alabi Emmanuel, emphasised the connection between women’s economic empowerment and child welfare, noting that financially empowered women were better positioned to provide for their children.

He also supported calls for a coordinated platform among non-governmental organisations to promote women’s economic empowerment and advocated changing the name of school labour days to sanitation days to encourage positive attitudes towards civic responsibility.

The Programme Manager, Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, Mr. Feyijimi Ogunjobi, who represented the Director-General of the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission, Dr. Abiodun Oyeneyin, highlighted the Ilera Loro programme, which provides free healthcare services to poor and vulnerable residents under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

He explained that the commission was using National Identification Numbers (NIN) and community-based registration devices to ensure that vulnerable households, including those identified through ILO partnerships, could access essential healthcare services without financial hardship.

The Gender Desk Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ondo State Command, Mrs. Caroline Ayodele, stressed that protecting children from exploitation was a shared responsibility involving government, security agencies, parents and communities.

She called for sustained efforts to ensure that children remained in classrooms rather than being exposed to dangerous working conditions.

Speaking on breaking the cycle of child labour through social advocacy and media campaign, Mrs Olaronke Olajide, shared experiences from communities where young girls reportedly worked on cocoa farms before dawn, describing the situation as a disturbing reality requiring urgent intervention.

She identified radio jingles, billboards, school outreaches and community engagements as effective tools for changing public attitudes towards child labour.

Olajide also highlighted achievements recorded through local partnerships, including the registration of vulnerable persons in social protection programmes, town hall meetings, strengthened Local Labour Monitoring Committees and the rescue and vocational training of exploited minors.

The Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government, Hon. Adeboye Adebare, represented by Hon. Adetunji Matthew, commended the organisers and pledged to intensify grassroots sensitisation through engagements with traditional rulers and town hall meetings.

He assured that the local government would work to ensure that residents understood the dangers of child labour and the need to eliminate the practice.

Similarly, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, represented by Mr. Wale Adeboyejo, pledged continued government support and cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the ILO and other organisations towards reducing child labour to zero in the state.

Delivering the keynote message on behalf of the Solicitor-General and Administrative Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Olubunmi Niyi-Arajuwa, Catherine Ogunjebi said child protection was both a legal responsibility and a moral obligation requiring effective enforcement and institutional collaboration.

She described the proposed child labour action plan as an important instrument for timely intervention and access to justice, assuring that the ministry was ready to provide the necessary administrative support and enforce existing laws in collaboration with the newly established task force.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, Prince Leke Adegbite, represented by Mr. Ayodeji Alabi, described the engagement as timely, urging stakeholders to translate the lessons and recommendations into practical actions.

He reaffirmed the media’s commitment to promoting child protection and giving visibility to issues affecting vulnerable children across the state.

Director Child, Ministry Of Women Affairs, Mr Mefun Tophas noted that the state government is fully committed to supporting efforts to eliminate child labour and ensure that children are not left on the streets.

“As of yesterday, 84 children had been enrolled in the state government’s care programme, with about 58 of them receiving education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, while others are acquiring vocational skills.

Without the support of the government, philanthropists, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders, many of these children would have been left on the streets.

We therefore appreciate all stakeholders working to protect children from child labour and other forms of exploitation.

Children who should be in school during school hours are often seen hawking or engaging in other activities on the streets. This is harmful to their development and undermines their rights.

We must all work together to protect children because they are the future leaders who will take over from us. They must be given the opportunity to learn, develop and fulfil their potential”, he concluded.

 

In her contribution, the Speaker of the Ondo State Third Children Parliament, Rt. Hon. Olamide Poroye, raised concern over the prevalence of child labour, citing a figure of approximately 39.2 per cent of children aged between seven and 12 in the state as being involved in the practice.

She called for stronger implementation of child protection laws and supported the proposed renaming of school labour days to sanitation days, arguing that the change could help remove negative perceptions associated with the exercise and encourage school attendance.

Poroye reaffirmed the commitment of the Children Parliament to working with the ILO, state government and civil society organisations to promote policies and legislative actions that safeguard children’s rights.

The stakeholders agreed that sustained community awareness, effective enforcement of child protection laws, access to education, social protection and economic empowerment of vulnerable households were essential to ending child labour in Ondo State.