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UN Flags 138 Million Kids In Global Child Labour Crisis
Published
1 month agoon
By
Editor
Ahead of World Day Against Child Labour, a report released on Wednesday by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund has shown that nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024.
The figure included 54 million engaged in hazardous work that endangered their health, safety, and development.
“Today, nearly 138 million children are in child labour worldwide, down from 160 million four years ago.
“There are over 100 million fewer children in child labour today than in 2000, even as the child population increased by 230 million over the same period,” the report stated
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World Day Against Child Labour is marked on June 12 every year and International Day of Play is marked on June 11.
The report revealed that while child labour had declined by more than 20 million since 2020, the world had missed its target of ending child labour by 2025.
It noted that since 2000, child labour had almost halved, yet current rates remained too slow.
To end child labour within the next five years, the report said the current rates of progress would need to be 11 times faster.
“While the elimination of child labour remains an unfinished task, there is some welcome news.
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“After a concerning rise in child labour captured by the global estimates for 2020, a feared further deterioration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has not materialised, and the world has succeeded in returning to a path of progress.
“This success can be attributed to some well-known policy imperatives that, if sustained and scaled-up, could bring about an end to child labour,” the report stated.
It highlighted that the policies included ensuring free and high-quality schooling to provide a worthwhile alternative to child labour and help ensure successful transitions from school to decent work.
Others were equipping education systems to support the school-to-work transition, particularly for older adolescents who face heightened occupational safety and health risks in the labour market; strengthening legal protections against child labour, aligned with international standards to lay the groundwork for effective prevention and enforcement, among others.
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The report also said targeted policies to end child labour must go hand in hand with broader development strategies.
“And to be fully effective, child labour concerns must be systematically mainstreamed into economic and social policy planning – from macroeconomic frameworks to labour market reforms and sectoral strategies.
“The latest estimates underscore the magnitude of the challenge of ending child labour. They also point to progress, and in doing so, affirm the possibilities.
“We have the blueprint for success – the right policies, adequate resources and unwavering commitment. Now is the time to act to free future generations from child labour,” it added.
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News
Expert Tasks NGOs On Int’l Standard Procurement Procedure
Published
6 hours agoon
July 24, 2025By
Editor
A procurement expert, Mr Ogunnupe Olushiga, has urged Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to fine-tune their policies and procurement activities to fit national and international standards.
Olushiga gave the advice at a two-day capacity building workshop for 15 NGOs on International Standard Practice on Procurement Processes.
The workshop was organised by Efficiency Management Consulting Firm in Bauchi and supported by Young Leaders Network, CARD, JO Ogun and Sons Enterprise.
Olushiga, the Convener and Lead Facilitator of the training, said the workshop was to help organisations mirror their activities in line with the Nigeria Procurement Act.
He noted the training would help organisations adjust their policies and procurement activities to fit global benchmarks.
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He said it would also help procurement, administration, finance, compliance and programme officers align their procurement practices with national laws and global donor policies.
Olushiga added that it would equally build a fraud resistant-audit ready and value driven procurement system.
“The training is to increase the capacity of the not-for-profit sector partners or workers and all those organisations that work under the not-for-profit to bring them up to international standards in procurement practice.
“It is also to help them to mirror their activities with the Nigerian Procurement Act which is not mandatory for them but compels them to have their policies and procurement activities in tune with national policy and international standard.
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“This standard fits into the World Bank and other donor agencies that come into partnership with them,” he said.
He pointed out that the new global, national, state laws and frameworks on procurement aligned with the need to safeguard the environment in rendering services by being eco-friendly and energy efficient in all procurement processes and services.
Patricia James, a Legal Procurement Consultant, listed some of the existing laws that guide organisations in procurement matters to include the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Bauchi State Public Procurement Law, 2020.
Others she said are the World Bank Procurement Regulations (2023), Transparency International (2021), Corruption Risks in Public Procurement, Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply CIPS (2020) and Ethical Procurement.
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In his address, Malam Nura Mohammed, the Director-General, State Agency for Sustainable Microfinance, said the government would henceforth channel all its Micro-credit Revolving Fund facilities through Participating Financial Banks down to the grassroots.
He said this would ensure financial inclusion in underserved communities.
He said the agency was established by the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, to act as an intermediary between the government, financial institutions, and businesses towards providing access to credit, business development services, and policy support.
The director-general who said procurement was critical to the operations of every organisation, commended the facilitator for his commitment.
He urged the participants to practicalise the knowledge gained to ensure procurement credibility and integrity in their organisations.
News
Pick Up Corps Members Or Refund Their Transport Fee – NYSC urges Corps Employers
Published
6 hours agoon
July 24, 2025By
Editor
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called on corps members’ employers to always complement the scheme by going to the camp and picking up corps members or refund their transport fee when they fail to do so.
The Director General of NYSC, Brig:-General Olakunle Nafiu made the call in Bauchi on Thursday during the
2025 NYSC/Corps Employers’ Workshop organised by the scheme in the state.
According to him, provision of comfortable accommodation for corps members by their employers or payment in lieu of accommodation would go a long way in compelling the corps members to provide adequate and effective service delivery.
Represented by Mrs Agatha Banki, Director, Northeast Area Office 1, Bauchi, the DG explained that the workshop is an annual event that brought operators of the NYSC Scheme and corps employers in a strategic meeting that presented them the avenue for exchange of ideas that enhance their operations.
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“From addressing gray areas to enhancing healthy relationships between our various organisations, the workshops always produce ideas and recommendations that are factored into the operations of the Scheme.
“I am convinced that the 2025 workshop would not be any different,” said the DG
He further highlighted the roles of corps employers to include the provision of accommodation, payment of transportation allowance, Healthcare provision as is available to regular staff, and provision of a healthy working environment.
Nafiu added that at the end of the workshop, participants must recommend steps to help build a proactive and enduring partnership between the NYSC Scheme and corps employers.
“You must hammer out more effective formats of communication among our organisations and come up with implementable solutions to the numerous problems that challenge corps administration and proffer solutions.
“I call on you to make individual and collective contributions in shaping the nation-building efforts of the corps members,” he said.
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Earlier, the Bauchi state Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Umoren Kufre, said that the NYSC was dedicated to fostering mutual growth and development, adding that it is through meaningful partnerships with corps members employers that the scheme could truly maximise these endeavors.
“Strengthening our partnership is not merely a desirable goal but a necessity for fostering empowerment, innovation, and social responsibility.
“Throughout this workshop, we will engage in critical discussions, share experiences, and explore best practices that will help us strengthen our bonds and enhance the effectiveness of the NYSC in serving both corps members and the labour market”, he said.
The theme of this year’s workshop is ‘strengthening NYSC/Corps employers’ partnership for improved mutual benefit’.
News
FOI: Access To Public Information, Right, Not Privilege, Says Edo Attorney General
Published
6 hours agoon
July 24, 2025By
Editor
Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie, has said that the right of access to public information should not be taken as a privilege that should be granted at the discretion of the state, rather, should be seen as a right that flows from the sovereignty of the people.
Hon. Osagie spoke at a Strategic Meeting on the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) in Nigeria, held in Benin on Thursday.
The strategic meeting was organized by Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and its partners under the CASARN project.
Represented by Festus Usiobiafo, Esq., Principal Council, Edo State Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General described the meeting as an opportunity to “deepen synergy, harmonize strategies, and reaffirm our collective resolve to make openness and accountability the defining attributes of governance in Nigeria.
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He disclosed that his ministry has “already exploring digital systems that can ease public access to data and records held by government institutions.”
“I am particularly pleased that this forum is not just timely, but pivotal, given the recent Supreme Court pronouncement clarifying the applicability of the FOI Act to subnational entities.
“In Edo State, the administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State is deeply committed to reforms that promote transparency, public accountability, and citizen participation.”
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The Attorney General, while noting that “access to information must serve the public good not be a tool for sensationalism or abuse,” noted that “FOI Act is not merely a legal instrument, it is a moral compass.”
“I affirm our readiness to engage constructively with civil society and the media towards the robust implementation of the FOI Act.
“However, this must be done within the framework of constitutional safeguards, institutional capacity, and responsible journalism,” he said.
Osagie continued: “It tells the story of a government that is not afraid of being questioned, a society that thrives on facts, and a people who are empowered to hold leaders accountable.”
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