The Federal Government in conjunction with the International Labour Organisation have mapped out a national action plan aimed at combating the menace of child labour and all forms of modern day slavery in Nigeria. Minister of Labour and Employment,Dr Chris Ngige gave the indication at the launch of the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour IYECL, in Abuja. The Minister who noted that considerable milestone have been achieved in sustaining the policy,however maintained that progress has been rather slow and unequal across the six geo-political zones. According to Ngige, with only five years left to achieve target 8.7 coupled with the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts already made in eliminating Child Labour, the need to join forces and work together as a team to tackle child labour is now more compelling than ever before. The Minister also added his voice on Nigeria’s readiness to achieve the African Union agenda. The United Nations General Assembly had declared year 2021 as deadline for the elimination of child labour.
