Child labour falls by 22 million,54 million still at risk–ILO
By Ukpono Ukpong
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed a global drop in child labour by 22 million since 2020 but raised alarm that 54 million children still remain trapped in hazardous work.
ILO Director for the Abuja Country Office, Dr. Vanessa Phala, made this known yesterday, at the 2025 Children’s Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in Abuja.
Speaking at the conference to commemorate the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour, Dr. Phala said, “Today is set aside to intentionally reflect, deliberate and assess the child labour situation globally and in Nigeria.”
She called for renewed national and international commitment to protect children’s rights to education, health, and a dignified future.
Describing child labour as a breach of the fundamental human rights of children, Phala noted that child labour remains a widespread challenge in Nigeria, particularly in agriculture, informal markets, domestic service, and hazardous mining activities.
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She said millions of children still work in unsafe conditions, especially in rural communities, where enforcement of child protection laws remains weak.
Highlighting this year’s theme, “Progress is clear, but there is more to do: Let us speed up efforts,” the ILO chief referenced the new 2024 Global Estimates on Child Labour launched by the ILO and UNICEF at the recent International Labour Conference in Geneva. The data shows a global decline in child labour figures from 160 million to about 138 million since 2020.
Despite these gains, she cautioned that “child labour still affects nearly 138 million children worldwide, 54 million of whom are in hazardous work.”
According to her, while all regions showed progress, Sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Nigeria, continues to carry the greatest burden, with about 87 million children involved in child labour.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, child labour prevalence fell from 23.9 to 21.5 percent, reversing an eight-year upward trend,” she noted.
However, she warned that “hazardous work occurs among children of all ages, and as children grow older, boys tend to be more involved in child labour than girls.”
Phala explained that agriculture remains the sector with the highest concentration of child labour cases, accounting for 61 percent of all child labour globally. It is followed by services, domestic work, and informal street vending, with the industrial sector, including mining and manufacturing, also contributing significantly.
Dr. Phala called for immediate action from Nigeria’s National Assembly to pass the reviewed Labour Standards Bill to strengthen enforcement, align with international labour laws, and better protect children and informal workers.
Speaking further, she revealed that ILO, supports Nigeria through the ACCEL Africa II Project and other initiatives to review national policies, launch new child labour tracking platforms, and reinforce commitments made under the Durban Call to Action and SDG Target 8.7, which seeks to eliminate all forms of child labour by 2025.
