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Solabomi Soaga
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has said no fewer than 15 million children under the ages of 14 years engaged in menial jobs for survival.
The ministry lamented increase in cases of child abuse , threatening that the government will continue to go after perpetrators of child abuse.
The Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Ogun, Mr Itemiagbo Asokoghene gave the warning on Wednesday in Abeokuta, at a press confrence organised to mark the 2022 World Day Against Child Labour.
Mr. Asokoghene who expressed worry over the increase of cases in child abuse, noted that the 15 million statistics of children engaging in menial jobs was given by the International Labour Organisation
The Ministry of Labour controller identified Ogun State as one of the states leading in child abuse, saying most of the children working in quarries, restaurant and homes as maids are foreigners.
“In Ogun state, children are still found working in quarries, restaurants and domestic servant. Being a border state, there are children from neighbouring West African countries found in various child labour situations within the state”. Mr Asokoghene said.
“We call on the Ogun government to facilitate an enabling environment that ensures that perpetrators of child labour and other forms of abuse against children are brought to justice.
“In Nigeria, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) approximates that about 15 million children under age 14 work to earn a living.
“Many of these are engaged in the worst forms of child labour, including quarrying of granites and gravel, domestic servitude and hawking” he said.
