THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD LABOUR IN UYO METROPOLIS, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the socio-economic implications of child labour in Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. In order to achieve the main purpose of the study, four specific objectives, four research questions and four null hypotheses were stated to guide the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, while the study area was Uyo metropolis in Akwa Ibom State. The target population of the study were children from 7-17 years and parents. The population was infinite. The researcher used infinite population to determine the sample size of 384. Snow ball sample selection technique was adopted to purposively identified respondents.
A structured questionnaire titled: The socio-economic implication of child labour in Uyo metropolis questionnaire and interview schedule for parents. Contents validation was carried out by two experts in the Department of Sociology – University of Uyo, while the internal consistency (reliability) was established by pre-testing on children who were experts to form part of the main study and analysed using cronbach Appha which yielded.
The researcher personally administered the questionnaire to the children and parents respectively, and they were retrieved immediately since the respondents were met in various streets in Uyo metropolis. Mean and standard deviation, descriptive and independent t-test statistics were used to answer and test research questions and null hypotheses respectively. It was concluded that there is a significant difference between household poverty level, educational level of parents, and environment and socio-economic implication of child labour.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:
Child labour is a pervasive problem throughout the world especially in developing countries. Child labour is, generally speaking, work for children that harm them or exploit them in some way. In other words, child labour connotes the practices of engaging children in economic activities on part or full time basis. This practice deprives children of their childhood rights and is harmful to their physical, mental, moral, emotional/psychological development or by blocking their access to education. However, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2002), child labour is the engagement of children below 15 years in work or employment on a regular basis with the aim of earning a livelihood for themselves or their families.
Child Labour is most concentrated in Asia and Africa, which together account for more than 90 percent of total child employment. UNICEF estimated about 250 Million children between the ages of 5 and 14 years engaged in child labour worldwide. Though there are more child workers in Asia than anywhere else, a higher percentage of African children participate in the labour force. Recently ILO estimated that 168 million children are in child labour globally, with 85 million in hazardous work (ILO, 2013). Asia is led by India which has 44 million child labourers, giving it the largest child work force in the world. In Pakistan, 10 percent of all workers are between the ages of 10 and 14 years (Weiner 1991). In Ghana, an estimated 13 percent of children aged 5 and 14 are economically Active and the phenomenon is prevalent in all regions of the country as observed by Assuming Brempong et al (2007) Oloko (2003) reported that there are approximately 15 million working children in Nigeria comprising approximately 8 million males and 7 million females. The children in labour who were not schooling consist of 4% employed as house keepers and their living conditions are crude and are exposed to early prostitution (Ekpo, 2005).
Despite the fact that the International Labour Conventions and different nation’s legislation to protect children from economic exploitation, the practice still continues to prevail and becoming a structural part of many economies in both the formal and informal sectors throughout the world especially in developing countries (Assefa, 2000). They are often victims of physical, mental and sexual abuse. Nkamleu (2005) opine that children in sub-Saharan Africa tend to be of economic value as a result of being a desirable asset for struggling parents. In fact a possible reason parents in developing countries have children is because they can be profitable (Syed et al 1991).
Child labour is an indication of an under developed society and has adverse impact on a Nation’s development. Child labour is a long standing socio-economic problem that is threatening the rights of many children in the world today. In recent times, concern about the child has taken the centre stage in national and international discourse. It all started being of national and international concern in 1948 when the Universal Declarations of Human Rights was made, which then became specified and particularized in 1989 at the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the child.
In 1990, the World Summit for children was held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, New York where 7 Heads of Stated and Governments including Nigeria, attended. In fact it was at this summit that Nigeria signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here also, Heads of State and Government pledged their commitment to putting a programme of action in place towards proper child development. In 1990 also, at Addis Ababa, Nigeria along with several other African countries adopted a Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child at the Convention of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). This Charter was derived from the Universal Declaration of 1989 but recognized the peculiarities of the African Child. The Charter recognized among others the socio-cultural and the educational dimensions of the African child which may not differ much among African countries but which could be quite incomparable when other continents are brought into focus. In 1991 therefore, at another convention of the same body in Abuja-Nigeria, the 1990s was declared “Decade of the African Child” with the 16th of June every year set aside to mark the “Day of the African Child” (ILO, 2011).
THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD LABOUR IN UYO METROPOLIS, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
