By Maryam Abeeb
UNESCO Read and Earn Federation (UNESCO REF) on Monday called on President Bola Tinubu to engage genuine education stakeholders to curb the menace inherent in child labour.
President of UNESCO REF, Abdulsalami Ladigbolu made the call in a statement as Nigeria joins other parts of the world to celebrate the International Child Labour Day,
Ladigbolu spoke of the need for the president to be pragmatic in addressing the issues at stake in child labour.
According to him, June 12 has been set aside by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to remind the world about the menace associated with child labour.
”Child labour is a complex phenomenon and seems to have prevailed in spite of its being hazardous with associated consequences on the child and the laws of the land.
”We should also remember that child labour is a global issue and not peculiar to any country.
”An estimated 250 million children are working worldwide. This is important to remind us of the need for collective effort to address this problem because the majority of the children undergoing these circumstances are meant to be in school.
”As a concerned citizen and strong believer and supporter of smart intellectuals, I urge President Tinubu to take stronger action and strategic dynamics to address the issue,” he said.
Ladigbolu said it was important to study the factors contributing to child labour in various states/communities so that sincere and holistic action plans could be designed to address the fundamental causes of Child labour in Nigeria.
”This issue of child labour in Nigeria keeps increasing and changing in pattern, putting into consideration the generic factors and issues contributing to the children scrambling for purchasing power to cater to their immediate needs,” he said.
