Introduction to Child Labour in Nigeria
At just 10 years old, Ladidi Mudi wakes at 5:00 a.m. daily to begin her chores, which include sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes in the home of a stranger she calls “mummy” in Unguwan Rimi, GRA, Kaduna. Though she lives with her employer, Ladidi worries most about not seeing her mother for months. She is one of the 24.7 million Nigerian children trapped in child labour, as indicated by the 2022 Child Labour and Forced Labour Survey.
The Prevalence of Child Labour
The survey shows that 39.2 per cent of children aged 5–17 are in child labour, with 29.9 per cent in hazardous work. The figures are worse in rural Nigeria, where 45 per cent of children work compared to 30 per cent in cities. In the North-west, 6.4 million children are in labour, with over half doing hazardous tasks. Many do not attend school, making states like Jigawa rank highest in out-of-school children.
The Story of Ladidi and Raliya
Born in Jigawa, Ladidi’s parents are too poor to care for her. Her mother sells kuli-kuli while her father farms. Hoping to ease the family’s burden, they allowed an agent to send Ladidi to Kaduna as a maid. Before her current placement, Ladidi briefly worked in another Kaduna home but begged to return to Jigawa due to the exhausting workload. Instead, the agent reassigned her to a new employer. She works with 15-year-old Raliya, also from Jigawa. Their employer, a career woman, explained why she prefers underage maids, stating they are easier to groom and less likely to cause problems.
The System of Trafficking
Kaduna is a key hub for minors trafficked from neighbouring states like Jigawa and Katsina. Labaran Ado-Tanimu, State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said Kaduna functions as a source, transit, and destination for trafficking. Children are brought from rural communities to work as maids, labourers, or worse, for sexual exploitation. Many are under 18, some as young as 10.
Undercover Experience
To understand the system, the author went undercover as a career woman seeking a maid under 18. Through contacts, she obtained the number of a woman who connected her to an agent named Rahma. When she asked for a 12–13-year-old, Rahma replied that there were no girls available but would have some by Wednesday. After Eid-el-Kabir, Rahma informed her that another girl was available in Unguwan Sarki. The author eventually met with Rahma and another agent, Maman Rabi, who presented a 15-year-old girl.
The Laws
Nigeria has passed several laws against trafficking, including the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (2003, amended in 2005, re-enacted in 2015). The law prescribes a minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and fines between N1 million and N5 million, with stricter penalties when minors are involved. The Child Rights Act (CRA) of 2003 further protects children, criminalising buying, selling, or hiring children in any form. However, because the CRA is federal law, each state must adopt it before enforcement.
NGO Efforts
Civil society groups play a vital role in addressing child trafficking. According to Hafsat Muhammad-Baba, Coordinator of the Global Initiative for Women and Children (GIWAC), parents often agree to send their children due to poverty or insecurity, believing they will be better cared for in the city. However, the children are often overworked and underpaid, if paid at all. NGOs can help with rescue and documentation, but real progress requires stronger government action.
Stolen Childhoods
Behind every statistic are children like Ladidi and Raliya—girls whose days revolve around chores instead of classrooms, who dream of reading and writing but remain trapped in servitude. Their stories echo across the North-west, where children are traded in markets of poverty and neglect. Parents, desperate for income, hand them to agents. Employers, seeking cheap labour, prefer their obedience. Agents, operating in shadows, profit from their innocence.
Conclusion
In spite of existing laws, awareness campaigns, and NGO interventions, child trafficking and labour continue to thrive in Kaduna and across Northwest Nigeria. Poverty, ignorance, weak enforcement, and cultural acceptance keep the cycle unbroken. The voices of children like Ladidi and Raliya remind us that this is not just about numbers, but lives, futures stolen before they can begin. Until governments, communities, religious leaders, and families commit to ending this exploitation, thousands of children will remain trapped in houses far from home, their dreams replaced by endless chores.
FAQs
- What is the prevalence of child labour in Nigeria?
The 2022 Child Labour and Forced Labour Survey shows that 39.2 per cent of children aged 5–17 are in child labour, with 29.9 per cent in hazardous work. - What are the main factors contributing to child trafficking in Nigeria?
Poverty, ignorance, weak enforcement, and cultural acceptance are the main factors contributing to child trafficking in Nigeria. - What laws are in place to protect children from trafficking and labour?
The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (2003, amended in 2005, re-enacted in 2015) and the Child Rights Act (CRA) of 2003 are the main laws in place to protect children from trafficking and labour. - What role do NGOs play in addressing child trafficking?
NGOs play a vital role in addressing child trafficking by helping with rescue and documentation, and by providing support to victims. - What can be done to prevent child trafficking and labour in Nigeria?
Stronger government action, community-driven solutions, and awareness campaigns are necessary to prevent child trafficking and labour in Nigeria.
