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ILO Trains Ondo Community Leaders In Child Labour Prevention

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The International Labour Organisation conducted a training session on Thursday for community leaders in Ondo State as part of efforts to combat child labour in the state.

The training, held under the ACCEL Africa Phase II Project, brought together traditional rulers and other stakeholders from various communities to form Community Child Labour Monitoring Committees.

At the training, which began on Tuesday and will end on Friday, in Akure, the state capital, the Director of the ILO Country Office in Abuja, Vanessa Phala, said the training marked a critical step towards combating child labour and promoting child protection through effective “monitoring, prevention, response and reporting of child labour cases within the community in collaboration with government agencies and other stakeholders.”

Phala, who was represented by the Coordinator of the ACCEL Africa Phase II Project, Celine Oni, stated that the project was funded by the government of the Netherlands with the aim to tackle child labour in Ondo, Osun and Niger States in the cocoa and artisanal small scale gold mining supply chains.

She said, “The vision we pursue is positive impact on the lives of children in the communities, empowering them to pursue their education, health, and futures free from the exploitation of child labour. We believe that by strengthening community capacity and fostering collective action, this initiative paves the way for a brighter future for Nigerian children.

“This training of CCLMCs marks a critical step towards combating child labour and promoting child protection through effective monitoring, prevention, response and reporting of child labour cases within the community in collaboration with government agencies and other stakeholders.”

She expressed optimism that after the training, the CCLMC members would be established and would have increased awareness about child labour.

“They will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to promote children’s rights, report cases and will develop action plans to address child labour in their respective communities,” the ILO boss stated.

In her remarks, the Director, Inspectorate Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Grace Adeleye, said although commendable steps have been taken to address child labour in Nigeria, sustained efforts were needed to achieve lasting impact, adding that addressing the legal framework gaps, expanding social protection, and tackling broader economic challenges are crucial in the matter.

“Combating child labour requires a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond monitoring and cleaning up workplaces but targeting root causes at the community level is crucial for achieving sustainable impact in eliminating child labour in Nigeria.

“Community Child Labour Monitoring Committee will play a crucial role in the elimination of child labour and child protection, and ensure that the farms, mining sites and other sectors in the communities are child labour free,” she stated.


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