President Bola Tinubu has directed federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the 36 state governments to ensure full implementation of a new national action plan to eliminate child labour, declaring the menace a national development challenge with implications for education, economic growth and national security.
The President said the Federal Government would intensify measures to tackle poverty, unemployment, inadequate access to quality education and social exclusion, which he identified among the underlying factors forcing children into exploitative labour.
Tinubu spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the National Dialogue on Advancing the Implementation of Nigeria’s National Child Labour Policy and National Action Plan (2026-2030), where he launched the National Child Labour Survey (Labour Force Survey) 2024 Report as well as the National Policy and National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2026-2030).
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President said the fight against child labour could no longer be treated merely as a labour matter because of its wider consequences for the country’s development.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the SGF on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, the President said ‘every nation is judged by how well it protects its children. A child who is forced into labour instead of attending school loses more than an education. That child loses opportunities, confidence, health and the chance to fully contribute to national development.
‘For this reason, the Federal Government considers the elimination of child labour not merely as a labour issue, but as a national development priority. It is linked to education, social protection, economic growth, poverty reduction, food security, human capital development and national security’, Tinubu said.
The President said his administration would continue strengthening labour administration and inspection systems as well as child protection mechanisms while expanding interventions targeted at the economic and social conditions that expose children to exploitation.
According to him, the theme of the 2026 commemoration, ‘Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults’, reflects Nigeria’s determination to reject every form of exploitation of children.
Tinubu identified education as one of the strongest safeguards against child labour, saying his administration was implementing reforms targeted at reducing the number of out-of-school children, improving education data, developing teachers and expanding skills acquisition.
He said the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme would also help improve school attendance while tackling hunger and nutritional challenges among children from vulnerable households.
The President said the government was strengthening social protection and household resilience through programmes including the NG-CARES Additional Financing Programme and the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) Programme.
He explained that the interventions were intended to expand economic opportunities and enable parents and caregivers to earn decent livelihoods, thereby reducing circumstances in which children are compelled to work for their families’ survival.
Tinubu recalled that his administration launched the National Plan of Action on Ending Violence Against Children in Nigeria (2024-2030) in 2025 and had continued to advocate stronger enforcement of the Child Rights Act and other child protection laws.
He added that the government was taking steps to improve safety in schools, particularly those located in vulnerable and high-risk areas.
‘As an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country, Nigeria accepts both the responsibility and the opportunity to lead by example. I am pleased that the National Child Labour Policy and the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2026-2030), which we are launching today, provide a practical roadmap for translating our international commitments into measurable national action’, the President said.
Tinubu specifically called on state governments to give full support to implementation of the National Action Plan and urged the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum to champion child protection initiatives across the country.
He also charged employers to ensure their supply chains remain free of child labour, while calling on workers’ organisations, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, communities, parents and guardians to support the campaign.
The President subsequently launched the 2024 National Child Labour Survey Report and the National Policy and National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2026-2030), directing MDAs, state governments, employers, workers’ organisations, development partners and civil society organisations to ensure their full implementation.
Tinubu commended the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, International Labour Organisation (ILO), ECOWAS, European Union, Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, United States Department of Labor, World Bank, National Bureau of Statistics and members of the National Steering Committee on the Elimination of Child Labour for supporting the country’s efforts.
He said Nigeria must now move ‘beyond commitment to action’ to guarantee every Nigerian child access to education, protection and a childhood free from exploitation.