Niger State Government has pledged to work closely with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other relevant organisations to eliminate Child labour in the State.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago stated this when he received on courtesy visit, a delegation led by the ILO Director of Country Office Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and liaising office of ECOWAS, Dr. Vanessa Phala at the Niger State liaison office, Abuja.
He expressed concern over the menace of Child labour in the society and highlighted measures being deployed by his administration to address the issues related to child labour
The Governor, however, suggested to the ILO to redefine and categorise what constitute Child labour to avoid cultural misinterpretations.
He said collaborating with the ILO and other relevant stakeholders would help produce better results, and then recommended that similar meetings should be held often.
The leader of the delegation, Director of the ILO Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and liaising office of ECOWAS, Dr Vanessa Phala, explained that their visit was to appreciate the Governor for his efforts in the fight against child labour in the state.
She said the organisation has been present in Niger State and two other States of the Federation since 2018, implementing critical interventions as they affect Children who are deprived of their childhood and those that are undertaking activities that are harmful to their physical and mental being.
Dr. Phala further revealed that the intervention is part of ACCEL Africa project, supported by the government of Netherlands, adding that in Niger State, their focus is on small scale artisanal mining.
She said they have carried out the first phase, which was establishing structures and bringing onboard all relevant stakeholders including NLC, TUC, NACA, traditional leaders, parents, and communities members among others.
Dr. Phala disclosed that the organisation is expanding its scope of intervention for the second phase to four communities across 3 Local Government areas which are Iwa community in Gurara local government, Kuchiko and Kuchiko camp in Suleja local government, and Tuntungo in Paikoro local government area.
She said issues related to occupational safety and health, as well as social protection, especially for vulnerable households, will be considered in the second phase of the project, pointing out that poverty has been discovered to be a major contributor to Child labour in Nigeria.
Dr. Vanessa appreciated the administration of the Governor for introducing projects that are complementary to the objectives of the organisation and urged the government to sustain its effort and support.
