"JUST THE WAY THINGS ARE." - by Endless Dream

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: THE NORMALISATION OF CHILD LABOR AND MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN NIGERIA Growing up as a middle-class West African in the northern area of Nigeria, I was quickly exposed to the unfairness of life, how I was sheltered and raised with careful love, care and morals by my parents differed vastly from one of the only actual societal issue that I was exposed to as a child which was the presence of child laborers, be it in the form of street hawkers, beggar gangs disguised as Quranic schooling (Almar Jiri), or domestic servitude, most commonly referred to as house boy and house girl.The difference in life experiences was incredibly noticeable, yet I viewed it with indifference when I was younger. I had adopted the attitudes of the adults around me, who also regarded these differences as insignificant. This indifference stemmed from their upbringing, as they were raised with similar beliefs and had been fortunate enough to succeed in their lives, reinforcing the harmful belief among Nigerians that suffering is a means of building character. Sadly, the greatest reactions I'd seen from the adults surrounding me then were saddened, pitying shakes of the head at the destitute children who, instead of spending time in school, were out on the streets selling food, sachet water, and other paltry items to angry adults who poured all the frustrations of their difficult lives on these little children. Children who had no idea of the beauty that the world could offer them, knowing only of its cruelty, those who were forced into the modern-day slavery disguised as philanthropy we piously label as "house helps" bringing me to the most unfortunate ones, torn from the arms of their parents, forced to beg for alms eating food scraps from waste dumps, living hand to mouth, without ever experiencing a day free from hunger and suffering. I remember reading an article when I was ten that called these pitiful souls "Children with No Future." This grim remark encompasses the true situation of these children with a saddening accuracy. Child labor is defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as<blockquote style="text-align: justify;">Work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.</blockquote>Normalization: to normalize someone or something means to make them, or to make it appear, normal, acceptable, or standard, often restoring a usual state. In this context, it is when illegal or harmful behavior becomes socially acceptable. Nigerians, whether consciously or unconsciously, have come to normalize this situation, as of May 2024 the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in conjunction with the ILO reported approximately 24,673,485 children 5 to,17 years old (39.2 per cent) are in child labor; of children in child labor, 60.8 per cent (14,990,674) are in the 5-11 age group, 20.8 per cent (5,132,574) are in the 12-14 age group and 18.4 per cent (4,550,237) are in the 15-17 age group. A slight percentage difference can be noted in the prevalence of child labor between males (39.6 per cent) and females (38.8 per cent). The driving force of the normalization of this situation lies mainly in the heavy economic pressures placed on the citizens of Nigeria. A family views the income of a child as a means of survival or another additional source of funds instead of calling a spade a spade and labelling it as it is, which is child exploitation. We instead crown it as an honor to support one's family; the younger the age, the more the admiration. Suffering has been closely linked to hard work, and hard work to success amongst Nigerians. Another reason for this saddening situation is, unfortunately, our culture. Of course, one should hold their culture and heritage in high regard, but when does culture cross the lines of morality? In the case of the live-in domestic aids that we refer to as houseboys/house girls, misleading words like "training" or "raising" to take in a child of ten years of age or less into their homes, not as adopted children but as servants who are mostly made to work extremely long hours, enduring physical and sometimes even sexual abuse, but not getting paid a salary but instead are paid in food and shelter and the sometimes illusory promise of quality education. In this case, two parties, i.e., the child's parents and the " employer,". The parents, as they can go hands off in raising a child, and sometimes even getting small payments from the child's "job" and the "employer," as they have cheap labor, but the child in the end is the biggest loser, often getting abused and traumatized by the person they were entrusted to by their parents. The consequences of normalizing these issues are evident in today’s society, manifesting as uneducated adults who are unaware of the harm caused by such practices. Many of them adopt the mentality of "I grew up like this, and I turned out fine," and consequently, they also allow their children to be exposed to exploitation. Thus, the never-ending cycle of poverty continues. The mental and physical health of the victims is greatly affected by this heartbreaking occurrence. The ILO estimates that child labor negatively impacts a country's future GDP, indicating it is not only a personal issue but also a social and economic one.Now that we understand the issues, let's explore potential solutions. What specific measures can be implemented to combat child labor and modern-day slavery in Nigeria? Additionally, what role do government policies play in either perpetuating or addressing the problem of child labor in the country?The short answer is that there are already measures and laws in place to combat this scourge. For example, section 28 of the Children's Rights Act of 2003 states that<blockquote style="text-align: justify;">Prohibition of exploitative labor<ol><li> Subject to this Act, no child shall be- </li></ol><ul><li>subjected to any forced or exploitative labor; or </li></ul><ul><li>employed to work in any capacity except where he is employed by a member of his family on light work of an agricultural, horticultural, or domestic character; or </li></ul><ul><li>required, in any case, to lift, carry, or move anything so heavy as to be likely to adversely affect his physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development; or </li></ul><ul><li>subsection shall apply to work done by children in technical schools or similar approved institutions if the work is supervised by the appropriate authority. employed as a domestic help outside his own home or family environment. Subsection shall apply to work done by children in technical schools or similar approved institutions if the work is supervised by the appropriate authority. </li></ul><ol><li> No child shall be employed, or work in an industrial undertaking, and nothing in this subsection shall apply to work done by children in technical schools or similar approved institutions if the work is supervised by the appropriate authority. </li><li>Any person who contravenes any provision of subsection (1) or (2) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand naira or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment. </li><li>Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate, any person who at the time of the commission of the offence was a proprietor, director, general manager or other similar officer, servant or agent of the body corporate shall be deemed to have jointly and severally committed the offence and may be liable on conviction to a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand naira. </li></ol></blockquote>Unfortunately, the law addressing child exploitation has not yet been adopted or enforced in many states across the country. As responsible citizens, we can play a crucial role in discouraging such acts by refraining from participating, even unconsciously, in the exploitation of children. Specifically, we can choose not to patronize child hawkers during school hours. While this may seem like a difficult decision, we can advocate for the integration of free lunch programs in schools, which would help keep children in class. If such initiatives were implemented, many children would no longer have to suffer the indignity of struggling to secure a meal. Additionally, in cases concerning domestic servants, it is important to alert the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) through appropriate channels. By taking these actions, we can contribute to a safer environment for children and promote their well-being. TOLL-FREE LINE0800CALLNAPTIP (08002255627874) SHORT CODE: 627 Email: info@naptip.<a class="tc-blue" href="https://gov.ng" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gov.ng </a>Phone: 07030000203.We must view child labor as an egregious crime that demands our immediate and unwavering efforts to eradicate it. We must reject the misguided notion that hard work leads to success or that suffering is a virtue borne by the successful. Instead, we should advocate for the rights and dignity of every child, ensuring that they are free from exploitation and able to pursue a future filled with opportunity and hope.

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