Poverty cause of child labour in Africa – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Wednesday, blamed the growing cases of child labour in Africa on pervasive poverty.

Ngige, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, stated this at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 5th Global Conference holding in Durban, South Africa.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had already adopted a multi-pronged approach to fighting child labour in the country.

The minister stressed that Nigeria was doing its best in the fight against child labour.

READ ALSO: 51% Nigerian children engage in child labour —NBS

The statement read: “Even before the present administration, poverty had crept into Nigeria’s socio-economic firmament and accentuated child labour with many non-working age persons taking to farming and artisanal mining.

“Also, the educational curriculum not properly developed to give the right and proper skills in the secondary and tertiary institutions compounded matters.

“High rate of school dropouts among children also became a major issue and a catchment pool for Child Labour.

”Also, decent jobs for young persons gave way to informal, hazardous jobs, such as illegal refining of petroleum products which has claimed scores of lives with attendant pollution.”

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