ILO Supports Nigeria to Strengthen Commitment to Child Labour Elimination Under Alliance 8.7

Abuja, Nigeria – Since May 2023, marking its fourth year as an Alliance 8.7 pathfinder country, Nigeria has taken significant steps toward eradicating child labour, human trafficking, and forced labour, demonstrating commendable progress through December 2023. These actions form part of a wider global campaign seeking to eliminate forced labour, modern slavery and all forms of child labour by the year 2025 in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alliance 8.7 is an international coalition that aims at realizing target 8.7 of SDGs which entails the eradication of child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery among others. As a pathfinder country, Nigeria has been actively involved in various interventions towards this end.

The country’s Alliance 8.7 technical committees leading each of the priority areas (Supply chain, Migration and Conflict and Humanitarians settings) has been instrumental in this respect, bringing together relevant stakeholders from the government, tripartite partners and civil society. The ILO serves as the secretariate of the Alliance 8.7 working group.

Achievements from May 2023 to December 2023:

During the period under review, crucial progress was made in achieving the set goals. Some of the key milestones achieved include, but are not limited to:

• The Federal Government and its partners have focused on protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children, in conflict zones by managing IDP camps, providing essential services, and implementing peace-building initiatives to address displacement and irregular migration.
• The ministry standardized profiling tools across migrant-focused service providers to ensure consistent identification and intervention for forced and child labor cases.
• Advancements were made in policy coordination, including the development of guidelines for supporting vulnerable migrant returnees, particularly exploited children.
• Nationwide campaigns were conducted to raise awareness about child labor and irregular migration, reaching a wide audience through various initiatives.
• Strengthened legal frameworks and capacity-building efforts for the judiciary were key in addressing child exploitation and trafficking, with widespread adoption of the VAPP Act.
• Land title documents were secured for households in Borno and Adamawa States, enhancing property rights and supporting the recovery and livelihoods of vulnerable families.
• Collaborative efforts focused on preventing child recruitment by terrorist groups and emphasizing the rehabilitation and reintegration of children involved in armed conflicts, highlighted by the "Nigeria Call for Action" initiative.

The progress report demonstrates Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to the global fight against child labour, forced labour, trafficking in persons and modern-day slavery. Despite the challenges posed by insecurity and other socio-political factors, the Nigerian government, in partnership with international organizations like the ILO, continues to drive forward with its initiatives under Alliance 8.7 network. These efforts are critical not only for meeting the 2025 deadline but also in guaranteeing the safety and welfare of vulnerable persons across the country.