Abstract
Child labour, child abuse and child maltreatment have produced adverse effects both physically, mentally and otherwise, thus
birthing great concern to the international world and this has led to a resolve by individuals, government and non-governmental bodies to combat this threat posed by this phenomenon and to put into consideration the casual factors and furthermore, proffer solutions.
This menace though practiced globally but it is prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria. Various forms of child labour have been documented in Nigeria, including street hawking, street begging, domestic staff, child prostitution and pornography, debt bondage,
selfdom, child trafficking, and employment in the commercial, agricultural, industrial, and mining sectors. Although several scholars have proposed different explanations for child labour in Nigeria, this study looked at the influence of culture and poverty in the incidence of child labour in Nigeria. This paper which adopted
the doctrinal research approach recommends that child rights-related legislation be domesticated and that the child rights enshrined in Chapter II of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution be updated to become fundamental human rights. It also recommended that all children receive compulsory education, that poor families be
provided with social security, that adequate behaviour change communication be provided to break down some cultural barriers that encourage child labour, that a specific special child protection agency be established to enforce child rights, and that child rights issues be moved from the Concurrent Legislative list to the Exclusive Legislative list to ensure uniformity in the protection, promotion and enforcement of child rights. It also proposed harsh penalties for anyone who violates children’s rights, all in the hopes of lowering
the frequency of child labour in Nigeria.
Key Words: Child; Child Rights, Poverty, Culture and Child Labour.
