As the world marks the 2024 World Day Against Child Labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has revealed that nearly 138 million children were involved in child labour globally this year.
Speaking on Thursday at the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, said around 54 million of these children were involved in hazardous work that endangers their health, safety, or development.
Despite recent improvements, Houngbo noted that the global goal to eliminate child labour by 2025 will not be achieved. He cited new estimates released by ILO and UNICEF showing a reduction of over 22 million cases since 2020, reversing an earlier surge between 2016 and 2020.
“The findings of the report offer hope and show that progress is possible,” Houngbo said. “But parents must be supported with access to decent work so their children can attend school instead of working to support the family.”
UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, also stressed the need for legal protections, expanded social welfare, quality education, and decent adult employment to curb child labour. She noted that agriculture remains the biggest sector for child labour, accounting for 61% of cases, followed by services at 27% and industry at 13%.
To accelerate progress, both organisations urged governments to boost social protection, including universal child benefits, and strengthen child protection systems to prevent exploitation.
In Nigeria, Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Mohammad Dingyadi, said the country continues to implement measures to eliminate child and forced labour. He noted that Nigeria, as a Pathfinder Country, is reviewing laws, enhancing capacity, and running community-based programmes to rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable children.
Also speaking, Director General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, called for urgent action, lamenting that millions of Nigerian children are still trapped in dangerous work at the cost of their health, education, and future.
