NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
138m children engaged in child labour in 2024- ILO D-G
Foreign

138m children engaged in child labour in 2024- ILO D-G

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By Joan Nwagwu

As the world celebrates World Day Against Child Labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024.

 

Mr Gilbert Houngbo, ILO’s Director-General, said this in a message to mark the Day at the ongoing 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Houngbo said that the figure includes around 54 million in hazardous work likely to jeopardize their health, safety, or development.

 

He explained that in spite of the positive trend, the world has missed its target of eliminating child labour by 2025.

 

“This is according to new estimates released today by the ILO and UNICEF and the latest data show a total reduction of over 22 million children since 2020, reversing an alarming spike between 2016 and 2020.

 

“The findings of the report offer hope and show that progress is possible but parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work.

 

“This is so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms and not selling things in markets or working in family farms to help support their family,” he said.

 

Also, the UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, said that progress towards ending child labour was possible.

 

“This is by applying legal safeguards, expanded social protection, investment in free, quality education, and better access to decent work for adults

 

”According to the data, agriculture remains the largest sector for child labour, accounting for 61 per cent of all cases, followed by services (27 per cent), like domestic work and selling goods in markets, and industry (13 per cent), including mining and manufacturing,” she said.

 

She said to accelerate progress, the UNICEF and ILO called on governments to invest in social protection systems, especially for vulnerable households, including universal child benefits so that families do not resort to child labour.

 

She also said that it was imperative to strengthen child protection systems to identify, prevent, and respond to children at risk, especially those facing the worst forms of child labour, among others.

 

Alhaji Mohammad Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment, said Nigeria has continued to provide measures toward the elimination of Child labour in the country.

 

Dingyadi said that Nigeria was a Pathfinder Country and it was intensifying efforts to eradicate child and forced labour.

 

“We are reviewing national legislations, building capacities, strengthening capacities and implementing community best programmes, as well as rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable children,” he said.

 

Also, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director General of Nigeria Employers and Association (NECA), called for accelerated action to eliminate child labour in Nigeria and across Africa.

 

He said that millions of Nigerian children continue to engage in dangerous work, sacrificing their health, education, and future potential.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Group seeks empowerment of children to achieve AU Agenda 2063
General News

Group seeks empowerment of children to achieve AU Agenda 2063

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By Angela Atabo

African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 Ambassadorial Assembly, an NGO, says there is a need to prioritise the empowerment of children as a fundamental strategy for realising the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Dr Elizabeth Emeka-Onwucheka, Chairperson, Education and Mass Literacy Committee, AU Agenda 2063 Ambassadorial Assembly, made the call at the 2025 Children’s Day Celebration organised by the group.

According to Emeka-Onwucheka, the event, with the theme “From the Streets to the Classroom“ echoes the aspirations of Agenda 2063, a prosperous Africa where every child has access to education and dignity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agenda 2063 outlines Africa’s strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation into the global powerhouse of the future over a 50-year period.

The chairperson said that the call aligned with the AU’s vision of an inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Africa.

She emphasised the critical role of children in the continent’s development trajectory.

“The AU Agenda 2063 is big on creating the Africa we want.

“It is the children that we need to build the Africa we want, because they are the future of Africa.

“That is one of the things that we are doing today, educating the African child, taking the African child off the street to the classroom where they ought to be,” she said.

She expressed passion about building the dream Africa by equipping the children of today to take up that task.

“This is because they are the ones that will be here to run through the 50 years agenda of the AU Agenda 2063,”she said

Emeka-Onwucheka said that the Assembly collaborated with Premiere Academy and Cradle2Harvard International Schools (C2HIS) to carry out the project.

She said that the aim was to ensure that children already in the classrooms became the ambassadors for out-of-school children.

According to her, the objective is to make them ambassadors of the AU agenda while carrying their mates on the streets along to build the African dream.

The Principal of Premiere Academy Lugbe, Christopher Akinsowon, said that there were millions of African children on the streets who were out-of-school rather than in the classroom.

According to Akinsowon, African children are calling for help.

“They are full of potential; they are full of so many things they want to express themselves but due to certain imitations, they can not.

“They face limitations like school fees, inability to develop their immediate environment, and so many things that make them unable to give to the world what is expected of them.

“I think first and foremost, government legislation is very important.

“The role of government is key in addressing these challenges and then the individual effort,” she said.

Some students who participated in the event expressed readiness to grow into championing the AU Agenda 2063 and stressed the need to assist out-of-school children to get back to the classroom.

Ms Chikaima Ogunema, a student of Premiere Academy, commended the organisers of the event.

Ogunema said that the programme was impactful and it empowered her on what to do to contribute to Africa.

Deborah Ogaji from Government Secondary School, Wuye, Abuja, said that she had been empowered to be a change agent.6

“Today I learnt about the African child and that I can be anything I want to be, so I will help other children to realise their worth as Africans,”she said.

Another student, Mr Ebere Bassit, said that the programme was a good way to celebrate children’s day and also the African child, especially the homeless, orphans and marginalised ones. (NAN)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

FG inaugurates feeding programme for 20m out-of-school, other children
General News

FG inaugurates feeding programme for 20m out-of-school, other children

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By Angela Atabo

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home Grown  School Feeding Project to expand the scope of feeding by  reaching  20 million out-of-school and informal children in 2026.

Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, made this known while launching the programme on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yilwatda said the programme was implemented by the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP).

He explained that it was also in collaboration with National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children Education and National Identity Management Commission.

He said the project was one of the flagship initiatives of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) in commemoration of President Bola Tinubu’s second year anniversary.

“There is no better time to renew our commitment to inclusive, equitable, and quality education especially for the millions of children currently outside the formal education system.

“The Alternate Education Programme is a strategic and compassionate response to one of the most critical educational and social development challenges of our time—the rising number of out-of-school children.

“It is our firm belief that every child, regardless of background, location, or social status, deserves the right to learn, to grow, and to dream.

“In furtherance of this goal, the NHGSFP under the renewed mandate of NSIPA has identified Karsana II, a nomadic settlement in the Federal Capital Territory, as the pilot site of this transformative initiative.”

Yilwatda said temporary learning centres have been established to accommodate pupils from Primary one to three, a staff room and a solar-powered borehole have been dedicated  to guarantee access to clean water for the children and their families.

He said the learning programme was integrated with the NHGSFP’s daily school meal service to ensure that each child receives a nutritious meal every school day.

According to the minister, the dual intervention will not only improve school attendance and retention but also significantly enhance their cognitive and physical development.

“This is not merely an education or feeding initiative—it is a holistic, rights-based intervention that delivers education, nutrition, identity, and dignity to the Nigerian child,” he said.

Yilwatda said that the objective was to build a national framework for reintegrating out-of-school children into safe, structured, and nourishing learning environments.

Dr Badamasi Lawal, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Office of the NSIPA, said the project which began as a school-based nutrition intervention has matured into a policy instrument for inclusion, human capital growth, and socio-economic resilience.

“With the Alternate Education Programme, we are moving beyond conventional boundaries to reach children in unconventional circumstances, those in out of school settings, displaced camps, informal settlements, and almajiris.

“This is not charity. It is justice. It is governance at its most intentional,” Lawal said.

He noted that the programme was designed to reduce the out of school children in Nigeria, improve enrollment and help transition from one level of primary education to the other and to secondary school.

“This is to bring inclusiveness into the feeding programme to ensure that no child is left behind.”

Also speaking, Dr Aderemi Adebowale, National Programme Manager, Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP), said 200 almajiri children were being targeted in Karasana in the pilot programme.

Adebowale said that the programme integrated children living in border communities, informal camps through an inclusive, community-led model management, feeding, and foundational learning.

She said that RH-NHGSFP was in charge of the tripartite feeding project being executed while the Almajiri commission was responsible for teaching and NIMC would do the verification.

“So the three of us are coming together to do what our mandates are. But we are not just limiting our mandate to the children that are already captured in school.

“We are also now taking that mandate to the out-of-school children in Nigeria.”

Dr Nurudeen Zauro, Technical Advisor to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion in the Office of the Vice President, said one of the president’s mandates is inclusiveness and it is going all out to achieve that.

According to Zauro, Tinubu’s administration is committed to economic and financial inclusion and the feeding project is about financial and economic inclusion, a project aligned with his renewed hope agenda.

The Chairman, House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Abdulkadir Jobe, represented by his deputy Alex Ikwechegh, said the project demonstrated the government’s untiring efforts at reducing  poverty in Nigeria and promised support to ensure its success.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Yakubu Uba

Children’s Day: Scholar calls for proper upbringing
General News

Children’s Day: Scholar calls for proper upbringing

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By Blessing Ibegbu

Mrs Blessing Onuh, a teacher in Karu Local Government Council of Nasarawa State, has emphasised the need for proper upbringing of children to build an impactful society and advance the nation.

Onuh, who teaches at Lyngra Montessori Schools in Karu, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, during the 2027 Children’s Day celebration.

“As we celebrate Children’s Day today, parents must reflect on the future of our children.

“The future of any nation largely depends on the kind of children being raised. As the saying goes, children are the leaders of tomorrow.

“What will happen to our tomorrow if children are not properly guided and educated,” she asked.

She explained that a strong family foundation was essential for positively impacting Nigerian children.

“The family is the first point of contact for any society. It plays a crucial role in a child’s life.

“A child is first nurtured in the family before entering the larger society, so good moral values should be instilled early,” Onuh stated.

She urged parents to be deliberate about raising their children and to spend quality time with them, especially during their formative years.

“If these early years are well guided, children tend to grow into responsible citizens with good morals.

“However, if neglected, they develop a myopic mindset and are easily influenced by negative elements in society,” she warned.

Onuh, who is also the Head Teacher of the school, highlighted the importance of quality education in shaping the Nigerian child.

“The importance of quality education cannot be overemphasised. Quality education is the key to success. For any society to stand tall, quality education must be prioritised,” she said.

She added that when children received the right education and information, society benefited because they apply the knowledge to improve the nation.

“This opens doors for financial and social growth. If Nigeria wants to achieve peace and progress, quality education is essential,” Onuh explained.

She described quality education as having good infrastructure, qualified teachers, excellent policies, proper teaching aids, and ongoing teacher training to keep up with changing times.

Onuh advised parents, schools, and government to be intentional about providing children with the positive training needed for future societal growth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Children’s Day is celebrated annually on May 27 to honour children and highlight their rights, welfare, and potential as future leaders.

The day was established as a holiday in 1964 for primary and secondary school children in Nigeria. (NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Abiemwense Moru

Nigerian children seek inclusion, protection against trafficking
Health

Nigerian children seek inclusion, protection against trafficking

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By Justina Auta

As Nigeria prepares to celebrate 2025 Children’s Day, the country’s young population has advocated for greater inclusion and protection from the scourge of child trafficking.

 

They made the call  on Monday ahead of the Children’s Day celebration organised by the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs in collaboration with the Save the Children International (SCI) and others in Abuja.

 

The theme for this year’s National Children’s Day is “Stand Up, Speak Up; Building a Bullying-Free Generation”.

 

Progress Friday-Umoh, the Speaker of the National Children’s Parliament, said children face challenges such as poverty, abuse, exploitation, lack of access to education and healthcare, stigma, and social exclusion and called for collective action to safeguard their rights and future.

 

She said: “children across nations are navigating fear, violence, and exclusion in spaces that should nurture them. It is time we give them more than just promises we must give them protection, platforms, and power.

 

“We need to see the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools implemented across the country not just on paper, but in practice, every school, every state. A child cannot learn in fear or in a war zone. Safety in learning environments must be the standard, not the exception.

 

“We must go beyond signing the Safe School Declaration and start bringing it to life, especially in crisis-prone areas. No child should sit in a classroom and wonder if they’ll make it home.”

 

Friday-Umoh stressed the need to strengthen child rights advocacy clubs, especially in underserved and rural areas to create awareness, spark bold conversations, and build young leaders.

 

According to her, the Girl-Led Movement initiative, supported by Save the Children International gave a platform for girls to raise their voices, share experiences, and contribute meaningfully to issues that affect them

 

Also, Safiya Alkali-Ajikolo, member, Borno state Children’s Parliament, called for more strategies to safeguard the lives of children in conflict affected states, as well as protect their rights to education, health and other basic needs.

 

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, reaffirmed government commitment towards addressing challenges ranging from child trafficking, forced labour, child marriage, domestic abuse, abandonment, amongst others affecting Nigeria’s children.

 

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, highlighted government efforts to include: launch of the National Coastal Action Plan 2025-2030 on Ending Violence Against Children, roll out of the National Guidelines on Alternative Care, review of the National Child Policy of 2008 and the Child Rights Act of 2003.

 

She added that government would also develop the National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management, establish the Child Protection Knowledge and Data Centre, Child Protection Services structure, formal protection, reporting, response, and rehabilitation.

 

Others, she noted include: reviewing adoption regulations to strengthen processes that prevent abuse in that space,  and strengthening the Nigerian Children’s Parliament at the national and state level.

 

” In addition, we are launching a universal child grant to alleviate household poverty and reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation, abuse, and malnutrition.

 

“We are also establishing a National Child Protection Data Grid and a Child Welfare Index to track progress and guide policy and hold ourselves accountable to measurable outcomes.

 

“Nigeria will establish a dedicated child protection and development agency, a single coordinated institutional framework that will streamline all national efforts related to children’s welfare development and protection.

 

“This agency will ensure coherence, efficiency, and long-term impact across programmes and stakeholders,” she said.

 

The minister called on all stakeholders to be true guardians of children in all sector of their lives.

 

”Beginning from parents; please nurture with wisdom, discipline with love, listen with your hearts and lead by example.

 

”To the teachers; we know that the tasks can be overwhelming, but be guardians of safety, torchbearers of kindness, never turning a blind eye to cruelty in your classrooms or abandon your responsibilities and become perpetrators.

 

”To our places of worship; make your pulpits sanctuaries of truth, inclusion, and help for the young. To every community and cultural gatekeeper; let not tradition justify trauma.”

 

Dr Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary for the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, emphasised the need to put in place structures that would protect the rights of children and ensure they thrive.

 

Duncan Harvey, Country Director, SCI, emphasised their supports towards implementing the Child Rights Act and strengthening child’s protection system to address bullying in and out of school across Nigeria.

 

“It is a legal and moral obligation to protect children from all forms of bullying within and outside the school environment.

 

” We call on all leaders to invest in establishing anti-bullying policies for safe, inclusive, and supportive environments where every child can learn, grow, and thrive free from fear, discrimination, or harm.’’

 

He stressed the need to include support child-led platforms, peer support groups, safe spaces, and school clubs that encourage children to speak up and support one another, as well as Involve them in the development of school rules and anti-bullying policies. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Police raise alarm over rising missing persons cases in Ogun
Defence/Security

Police raise alarm over rising missing persons cases in Ogun

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By Abiodun Lawal

The Police Command in Ogun has raised concerns over a significant increase in reports of missing persons in the state.

 

CSP Omolola Odutola, the Command’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta.

 

She explained that the command had noticed an unprecedented rise in the number of missing persons across all age groups.

 

Odutola noted that only a small fraction of the individuals had been found, with many regrettably not returning home.

 

The police spokesperson urged residents to remain vigilant and more security-conscious while prioritising their safety.

 

She added that, as a proactive and community-oriented force, the command was committed to raising public awareness about this concerning trend.

 

“We encourage everyone to prioritise their safety by maintaining a heightened sense of security to avoid becoming a victim.

 

“The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, has outlined essential measures and guidelines to keep residents informed about the most pressing issues.

 

“Based on insights from individuals who were rescued, the Commissioner advises parents not to allow their children to use commercial transportation services with strangers.

 

“Additionally, he encourages restless youth to activate the digital communication and sharing features on their mobile devices, especially when traveling or in moments of distress,” Odutola said.

 

Odutola further emphasised that the public could contact the police control room at 09164859299 and the Police Public Relations Department at 09159578888 for assistance.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Education: Senate pledges brighter future for Nigerian children
Education

Education: Senate pledges brighter future for Nigerian children

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By Naomi Sharang

The Senate has assured Nigerian children of a brighter future, enabling them to reach their full academic potential.

Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Sen. Ireti Kingibe, gave the assurance at an event to mark the “Universal Children’s Day” held at the National Assembly complex.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s event is “Investing in Our Future: Empowering Children to Build a Better World”.

Kingibe emphasised that children are the future of Nigeria, and it was essential to invest time, energy, and resources in helping them become the best version of themselves.

She stressed that children would ensure Nigeria’s greatness in the future.

The President of the NSE, Margaret Oguntala, represented by Dr Felicia Agubata, highlighted the importance of empowering and inspiring children to build a brighter future.

Oguntala emphasised that education, healthcare, and skill acquisition were essential investments in children’s potential to create a better society.

“Children are our pride and joy; they are the leaders of tomorrow’s progress.

“As leaders, parents and professionals, we bear a collective responsibility to nurture their dreams, safeguard their wellbeing, and equip them with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving world.

“Education, healthcare and skill acquisition are not mere privileges but essential investments in their potential to create a better society.

“I would like to call on all parents to take special interest in the development of their children.

“Let me also use this opportunity to urge our children to embrace education and skills acquisition with dedication and discipline.”

Also speaking, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi), called for the digitalisation of education, suggesting that e-libraries and digital learning platforms would improve efficiency and accessibility for students.

Sen. Neda Imaseun (LP-Edo), emphasised the importance of handing over the baton to children, acknowledging their crucial role in shaping the future.

However, he also stressed the need for better welfare and remuneration for teachers to provide quality education. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

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