Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Nigeria (Ratification: 2002)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is carrying out advocacy and sensitization measures to ensure the adoption and implementation of the Child Rights Act in the remaining states of Nigeria. The Committee once again expresses the hope that the Government will take the necessary measures to ensure that the Child Rights Act will enter into force in all the states of Nigeria in the very near future. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Article 4(1) and (2) of the Convention. Determination and identification of hazardous work.With regard to the adoption of the list of hazardous types of work prohibited to children under the age of 18 years, the Committee requests the Government to refer to its detailed comments under the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Providing the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child trafficking. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that provisions for legal aid and gender-sensitive protection services to victims of trafficking have been enhanced. Victims of trafficking have been enlightened on how to access adequate and deserved justice. Moreover, the standard operating procedures of the National Referral Mechanism have been strengthened and minimum standards have been developed and adopted by relevant state and non-state actors. The Government indicates that from 2018 to 2022, a total of 6,160 victims of trafficking were rehabilitated, of which, 2,956 (2,189 female and 767 male) were children between the ages of 0–17 years. The Committee also notes from the Government’s report under the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No 29) that 17 victims of trafficking have graduated from school through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The Government further indicates that the Fact-finding mission carried out by NAPTIP in Mali in 2019 revealed that over 20,000 Nigerian girls who are victims of trafficking are being held in sexual exploitation in Mali. The Mission resulted in the signing of an MOU with Mali for the rescue and repatriation of these girls. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have been rescued and repatriated from Mali by the NAPTIP. It also requests the Government to continue to take the necessary measures to identify and protect child victims of trafficking and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. The Committee further requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have benefited from the rehabilitation programmes, disaggregated by age and gender.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk.Child orphans of HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children (OVCs). In its previous comments, the Committee noted the development of the National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children 2013–20 (NAP for Orphans and OVCs) and the Social Security Policy to protect child orphans of HIV/AIDS and OVCs.

The Committee notes that the Government has not provided any information on the implementation of the NAP for Orphans and OVCs and the Social Security Policy. It notes that according to the UNAIDS estimates of 2021 approximately 1.2 million children between 0-17 years are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. Recalling that orphans of HIV/AIDS and OVCs are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again requests the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and the results achieved.

[The Government is asked to reply in full to the present comments in 2023.]