Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
As part of efforts to curb the menace of child labour, the federal government and International Labour Organisation (ILO) have begun moves to strengthen Nigeria’s child protection system through improved coordination, accountability and information management.
This was the focus of a five-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja for members of the National Child Rights Implementation Committee (NCRIC) and other stakeholders, supported by the ILO through the Support for Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa Phase II programme, funded by the European Union.
Speaking at the opening, ILO Country Director, Ms. Vanessa Phala, represented by Agatha Kolawole, commended the federal government and stakeholders for their commitment to children’s rights and well-being.
She said protecting children is not the responsibility of one institution alone, but a collective responsibility requiring coordinated action across sectors and levels of governance.
“Children remain among the most vulnerable members of our society. In Nigeria, millions of children continue to face risk of child labour, trafficking in persons, violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and other forms of rights violations,” she said.
Phala said the challenges are interconnected and cannot be effectively addressed through fragmented interventions.
She noted that a strong child protection system must ensure effective coordination, accountability, evidence-based decision-making and sustained institutional commitment, ensuring that every child, especially the most vulnerable, has access to prevention, protection, rehabilitation and support services.
For the ILO, she said, strengthening child protection is closely linked to its mandate of promoting social justice and advancing fundamental principles and rights at work.
According to her, child labour is both a child protection concern and a labour rights issue, requiring collaboration between labour administration, child protection actors, education, social welfare, law enforcement, employers’ and workers’ organisations, communities and families.
She acknowledged Nigeria’s progress, including domestication of the Child Rights Act across many states, implementation of the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour, and integration of the Durban Call to Action and Marrakech Framework principles.
However, sustaining the gains, she said, requires stronger coordination, accountability, monitoring and information management.
“Effective child protection systems are not defined solely by policies and legislation. They are measured by how well institutions work together, how information flows, how accountability is maintained, and ultimately, how services reach vulnerable children,” she said.
She said by strengthening structures such as the NCRIC, improving information systems, clarifying roles and enhancing accountability, Nigeria can build a more responsive system.
Phala also stressed the importance of data, community participation and the involvement of children themselves, noting that through the Free Movement project, the ASL Africa project funded by the Netherlands, and its broader decent work agenda.
She said the ILO remains committed to supporting Nigeria.
“Our success will not be measured by the number of meetings held or reports produced, but by the number of children protected from exploitation, the number of vulnerable families supported, and the extent to which every child can grow up in safety, dignity and opportunity,” she said.
Also speaking, Director, Child Development Department Mr. Andrew Ali who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development said the workshop is a strategic investment in institutional capacity to guarantee the protection, survival and development of every Nigerian child.
He described NCRIC as the main structure coordinating implementation of the Child Rights Act 2003, currently under review.
Ali lamented persistent violence against children, citing a recent report of a woman who allegedly poisoned her co-wife’s two children, killing one.
“The level of violence is not happening outside; it is also happening within the family. So, we have a lot of work to do,” he said.
He listed sexual abuse, trafficking, child labour, child marriage, physical and emotional violence, neglect, abandonment, online abuse and harmful traditional practices as major challenges requiring coordinated and sustainable response beyond policy formulation.
He urged that the training be cascaded to state and local government committees, and that participants should endeavour to take ownership of the outcomes so that recommendations reflect institutional plans and programmes.