From awareness to action: Strengthening MSMEs with tools for ethical and sustainable business practices

LAGOS (ILO News) - In August 2025, business owners, supervisors, and focal persons from Nano, Micro, and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Lagos (4–5 August 2025) and Niger (12–13 August 2025) States came together for a series of capacity-building workshops designed to promote ethical and sustainable business practices. Organized by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the workshops introduced participants to the Child Labour Reporting Template—a practical tool that helps enterprises identify child labour risks, strengthen compliance, and align with firm-specific, national, and international sustainability standards, while also addressing child labour elimination within their operations.

Child labour remains a serious concern in Nigeria’s supply chains. The 2022 National Bureau of Statistics/ILO National Child Labour Survey revealed that more than 24 million children are engaged in child labour, many in sectors where MSMEs are central players, such as agriculture, tailoring, mechanics, informal manufacturing, and small-scale trading. Tackling this challenge is not only a moral responsibility but also a business imperative for enterprises seeking to meet global sustainability expectations and maintain competitiveness.

“Ending child labour is not just about compliance, it is also about building ethical businesses and sustainable supply chains. With the right tools, MSMEs can demonstrate accountability, strengthen competitiveness, and contribute to a child labour-free society.”Ms. Celine Oni, NPC ACCEL, representing the ILO Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Abuja Country Office.

Across both workshops, participants engaged in interactive sessions with case studies and practical exercises. They learned how to apply the reporting template to real-life scenarios and suggested upgrading the tool into digital versions for timely and proactive reporting. They also explored state-specific challenges—such as the unique vulnerabilities faced by children in western Nigeria and in rural Niger State—and brainstormed workable strategies for businesses to take collective action against child labour.

With 80 focal persons trained, the reporting process is expected to improve data collection on child labour, reduce children’s involvement in hazardous and exploitative work, strengthen MSMEs’ compliance with sustainability and labour standards, and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian enterprises in both global and local markets.

By embedding ethical and sustainable practices, MSMEs can help Nigeria accelerate progress toward SDG 8.7, which calls for eliminating child labour in all its forms. The Lagos and Niger workshops mark a significant milestone in Nigeria’s private sector response to child labour, proving that responsible business is smart business.