CHILD LABOUR FOR FAMILY POVERTY ALLEVIATION: A DEBACLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN CHILD: ‘LESSONS FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES OF EBONYI STATE

Abstract

Child labour for family poverty alleviation is a daunting challenge facing both the children and their poor families in Ebonyi state rural communities. This phenomenon constitutes a debacle to impacted families because it is dehumanizing, erodes societal values and prolongs economic woes, (ILO, (2007 and Global child labour conference, 2010). Its preponderance is not only detrimental to the health of the children involved, it also distorts their educational and overall development. Inferences from studies on child labour by Word Bank, (2000), UNICEF (2004), Human Right Watch, (2004) and UNRISD, (2005), revealed the existence of between 100 and 200 million child labourers across the globe, with an embarrassing 20% of the data coming from Africa, (UNICEF 2004), showing that African children, which of course include our research population; between the ages of 10-14 years, representing 17% of Africa’s total labour force, are actively engaged in this practice, (Word Bank, 2000, CBN 1999, Olaitan. et al, 2000). Using the social exclusion theory for the content analyses of qualitative data collected from the study, it was revealed that child labour practices remains a thriving enterprise among our research population in Ebonyi state rural communities, with adverse consequences on those impacted. The existence of these rural families under Nigerian government’s neglect having ossified extreme poverty among them, has also exacerbated child labour in the area. This paper there called to question the continued practice of child labour for family poverty alleviation despite its negative effects on this population. Accordingly, some recommendations as lasting solutions were in the areas of the need for the Nigerian Ebonyi state and government to enact stringent anti-child labour laws with punitive measures against its perpetrators, to serve as deterrent for its furtherance. Other recommendations were for greater involvement of help agencies through mitigations, advocacies, increased rural child education and the introduction of people-oriented programmes that promote improved socio-economic life and welfare for the rural dwellers of Ebonyi state.