From Work to School: Nigeria Takes a Major Step to Protect Millions of Children

Abuja, Nigeria — For millions of children across Nigeria, the future should be shaped by classrooms, not worksites. Yet today, millions still spend their days in farms, streets, markets, workshops, mines, and homes instead of learning, playing, and developing their potential.

On 2nd and 3rd June 2026, Nigeria took a significant step towards changing that reality.

Members of the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour (NSCCL) formally validated Nigeria's third National Child Labour Policy and National Action Plan (NAP) 2026–2030. The development and validation of the Policy and Action Plan were supported by the EU-funded FMM (West Africa) II Project and by the Government of the Netherlands through the ACCEL Africa II Project. The process was jointly convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Abuja, with support from the ECOWAS Commission.

The new framework represents a renewed national commitment to protect children from exploitation and create opportunities for them to remain in school, grow in safe environments, and transition into productive and decent work as adults. The urgency is clear. According to the 2022 National Child Labour Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the ILO, approximately 24.7 million Nigerian children are engaged in child labour, while more than 14 million are involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety, education, and prospects.

Behind these figures are children like 13-year-old Amina from northern Nigeria, who dreams of becoming a teacher but spends long hours helping support her family's livelihood. For children in similar circumstances across the country, the promise of education and a brighter future often competes with the realities of poverty and vulnerability.

"This policy gives us renewed hope that fewer children will be forced to choose work over education," said a representative of a child-rights civil society organization who participated in the policy development process. "When children are protected and supported to stay in school, entire communities benefit."----- The National Coordinator of Child and Youth Protection Foundation (CYPF).

The newly validated Policy and Action Plan seek to address the root causes of child labour through a comprehensive and coordinated approach. By 2030, the framework aims to achieve a significant reduction in hazardous child labour while improving school attendance, strengthening labour inspection systems, expanding social protection coverage, and enhancing child protection services across the country. For children and their families, this means greater access to education, stronger safeguards against exploitation, and increased support for vulnerable households whose economic circumstances often force children into work.

For institutions, it signals a major transformation in the way child labour is prevented, identified, monitored, and addressed.

The Action Plan introduces new digital tools to improve accountability and results. These include a Digital Labour Inspection Checklist to strengthen enforcement, a Red Card System Registry to track violations and responses, and a State Scorecard Reporting Template to measure progress and support evidence-based decision-making at federal and state levels.

A representative of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) described the validation as "an important milestone for protecting the rights and dignity of Nigerian children," adding that stronger enforcement and social protection measures would help address the conditions that drive child labour. Similarly, a representative of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) noted that "every child removed from hazardous work and returned to school is an investment in Nigeria's future workforce and national development."

Speaking during the validation meeting, Dr Vanessa Phala, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liaison Office for ECOWAS, stressed that the policy is ultimately about improving children's lives. "Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights and compromises children's future," she said. "This validation is not merely the endorsement of policy documents. It is a collective commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to learn, develop their potential, and live free from exploitation."

Phala emphasised that success would depend on sustained financing, effective monitoring, strong partnerships, and continued engagement by government institutions, workers' and employers' organizations, civil society, communities, and the private sector.

The development and validation of the Policy and Action Plan were supported by the European Union through the FMM West Africa II Project and by the Government of the Netherlands through the ACCEL Africa II Project. The validated framework is expected to be formally launched around the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2026.

As implementation begins, the real measure of success will not be the number of policies adopted or meetings held, but the number of children who are able to leave hazardous work behind, return to school, and build brighter futures. For families, communities, and institutions across Nigeria, the message is clear: every child belongs in school, every child deserves protection, and every child deserves the chance to thrive.

Together, Nigeria and its partners are laying the foundation for a future where those aspirations become reality.