Children Are Entitled to Play, Schooling, Not Forced Labour – Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has emphasized that children are meant to enjoy their childhood through study and play—not toil under harsh conditions.

Speaking at the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour and a special conference on its elimination, Dingyadi stated that every child has the right to dream, not to be burdened with long hours of work.

The Minister called on all stakeholders—including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), and organised labour—to ramp up advocacy efforts aimed at eradicating child labour.

He noted a recent ILO–UNICEF report showing a drop in global child labour from 160 million to 138 million—a clear sign of progress Ð though more effort is needed. The 2025 campaign theme: “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: Let’s speed up efforts.”

Due to overlap with Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the global observance on June 12 was postponed locally to July 1.

Dingyadi further stressed:

“Even one child in child labour is one too many… You have the right to go to school, not to work in dangerous jobs. You have the right to play, not to carry heavy loads. You have the right to dream, not to be forced to work long hours.”

He also urged children present at the forum to be catalysts for change, inspiring the government and citizens to shape policies that reflect their aspirations.

Highlighting government commitment, he said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places children’s welfare at its core, asserting, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to break the cycle of poverty and child labour.”

Dr Vanessa Phala, ILO’s Director at its Abuja office, described child labour as alarmingly widespread: millions of children endure unsafe, exploitative work to survive. She said the new estimates confirm a reduction of 22 million children in hazardous labour since 2020, and some 100 million fewer since 2000—even as the total child population grew by 230 million.

Phala underscored that Nigeria, though a signatory to international anti-child-labour standards, still battles the problem.
She appealed to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Labour, and others to expedite passage of the revised Labour Standards Bill, which would align national laws with global benchmarks and advance social justice.