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CHILD LABOUR: HARMING OUR FUTURE GENERATION

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CHILD LABOUR HARMING OUR FUTURE GENERATION

CHILD LABOUR: HARMING OUR FUTURE GENERATION

INTRODUCTION

The future of any nation in any sphere of life is solely dependent on the population of the younger ones. But there are activities and occurrences that tend to impede this positive expectation from coming to pass and child labour sits heavily on this seat.

Millions of young children who are vulnerable are still affected by child labour, which is still a major problem in the world.

This article clarifies the numerous aspects of child labour, its causes and effects, the initiatives being taken to address it and the pressing need for everyone including the government to work together to end it.

CHILD LABOUR HARMING OUR FUTURE GENERATION

MEANING AND PERSPECTIVE

Child labour, which is defined as the exploitation of young people engaged in work that robs them of their childhood, hinders their ability to receive a regular education and is bad for their mental, physical, social and moral health. it is a serious threat to human rights and the future of our society.

Here, child labour is clearly seen as the employment of children in work that is harmful to their physical and mental development. There are several aspects of child labour that vary based on different factors, including geographical location, social and economic conditions, and legal frameworks. Here are some key aspects of child labour:

  1. Types of work: Child labour can involve a wide range of activities, including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, domestic work, street vending and lot more. These activities may vary based on cultural and economic factors prevalent in different regions.
  2. Age of the child: The legal working age in many countries is typically 15 or 16. Therefore, any child lesser in age, involved in some of form of work, is child labour.
  3. working conditions: Child labour places children in hazardous and unhealthy working environments. They may be subject to long hours of work, exposure to dangerous substances, abuse and denial of basic rights such as education, leisure and play.
  4. Exploitation and trafficking: Children engaged in forced labour are likely coerced, deceived and often forced into work involving illegal activities.

Eradicating child labour requires comprehensive strategies that address poverty, improve education, strengthen legal frameworks and promote social awareness and responsible business practices.

 

 

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR

It is important to recognize that child labour is a complex issue, deeply rooted in social, economic and cultural contexts and these are the main causes:

  1. Poverty: Poverty is widely considered as the leading cause of child labour. When families live in extreme poverty, they often struggle to provide for their basic needs. As a result, children may be forced to work to help sustain their families.
  2. Lack of access to education: When children are denied access to education or cannot afford schooling, they may end up working instead, depriving them of their right to education.
  3. Social and cultural norms: Certain social and cultural norms can also perpetuate child labour. In some societies, children working alongside their parents or other family members is seen as a normal practice, and often these practices are deeply ingrained.
  4. Lack of adequate laws and enforcement: In some countries, child labour laws are either weak or poorly enforced. This lack of protection allows employers to exploit vulnerable children by employing them under dangerous and exploitative conditions. This weak enforcement mechanisms allow unscrupulous employers to exploit child labour without repercussions. This includes inadequate regulation and inspection of workplaces.

 

  1. Inadequate social protection: Insufficient social protection systems, including limited access to healthcare, social security and welfare services can push families to rely on their children for income.
  2. Armed conflict and displacement: In places affected by armed conflict or natural disasters, families face displacement and extreme hardship. These situations can force children into hazardous work, especially when education systems are disrupted.
  3. Global demand for cheap goods: Global supply chains often involve the use of child labour to reduce costs. Consumers’ demand for cheap products can indirectly contribute to child labour when companies resort to exploitative practices to meet the market demands.

 

 

CONSEQUENCES OF PRACTICING CHILD LABOUR

The consequences of child labour are numerous and far-reaching, impacting not only the individual child but also their families, societies and economies. Here are some key consequences of child labour:

  1. Denial of education: Child labour often prevents children from attending school, leading to limited access to education. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty and hinders their ability acquire knowledge and skills necessary for future employment opportunities.
  2. Physical and mental health risks: Child labour exposes hazardous and strenuous conditions that can cause physical injuries, illnesses and developmental issues. They may be subjected to long working hours, dangerous machinery and toxic substances, which can have long-lasting health consequences.
  3. Impaired social and emotional development: children are deprived of the opportunities to play, interact with peers and learn critical social and emotional skills. This can result in loneliness, low self-esteem and a constrained ability to establish healthy relationships as an adult.
  4. Restricted future prospects: Future chances are limited because of the lack of training and education that comes from working as a child. As adults, these children are more likely to be stuck in low-skilled, low-paying professions, promoting the poverty cycle.
  5. Economic impact: Although, child labour may provide the family with immediate income, it also has a long-term financial repercussion. Countries are deprived of highly educated and skilled labour, which has a long-term negative impact on productivity and economic growth.
  6. Social inequality: Child labour worsens racial and income disparities, which in turn adds to social inequalities. The gap between the poor and the rich is further widened, and it mostly affects the underprivileged populations.
  7. Human rights violation: Child labour is violation of children’s fundamental human rights, which include the right to health, education and a safe environment. It violates laws and agreement designed to defend the rights children as well as international labour standards.

Overall, child labour has severe physical, emotional and societal consequences, making it a harmful and unjust practices.

 

INITIATIVES TO BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS CHILD LABOUR PRACTICES

Child labour is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Here are some strategies that can help address child labour:

  1. Strengthen laws and regulations: Government should enforce strict labour laws and regulations; establishing minimum employment ages and ensuring safe working conditions. To act as a discouragement, penalties for breaking child labour rules should be strictly enforced. Various countries have enacted legislation and policies to address child labour within their borders.
  2. Increased educational access: Government and organizations should work towards ensuring that all children have access to free and essential education because, quality education is crucial to combat child labour. This could entail increasing the number of schools, provide materials and incentives for attendance, ensure that schools are safe and child-friendly, and eliminating constraints like poverty and gender inequality.
  3. Raise awareness and positively influence attitudes: This can educate the public; communities, parents and employer about the dangers of child labour and the value of education. Advocacy work can influence social perception of child labour and advanced children’s right through media campaigns and community dialogues.
  4. Encourage economic development: Government and international organizations should invest in poverty-alleviation programs, sustainable economic development and job creation to provide alternative livelihoods for families that rely on child labour.
  5. Provision of social protection: Safety nets such access to healthcare, social assistance and affordable housing can help lift families out of poverty. This reduces the need for children to work to support their families.
  6. Collaboration: It is essential for businesses, communities, civil society organizations, trade unions, the private sector and government to work together. In order to address child labour, these stakeholders should work collaboratively. By sharing knowledge, execute extensive programs and pooling resources together.
  7. Promote responsible business practices: In order to stop child labour, businesses should be accountable for their supply network and increase supply chain transparency. Strict supply chain standards that are put into place and enforced, as well as routine supplier audits, can assist identify and address child labour instances.

Companies should be encouraged to adopt responsible business practices and adherence to ethical standards.

  1. Enforce international standards: Government should ratify and implement international conventions such as the International Labour Organization’s Convention on the Worst of Forms of Child Labour (No. 182) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to ensure universal protection children’s rights and combat child labour.
  2. Monitor and report: Adequate monitoring systems are needed to identify instances of child labour, collect data and track progress. For creating efficient interventions and assessing effectiveness, this information is important.

 

CONCLUSION

The eradication of child labour is a tedious task that requires collective efforts on local, national and global levels. By empowering through education, enforcing laws and regulations and tackling the root causes of child labour, it is possible to break the cycle of poverty and provide a brighter future for millions of children.

We must continue to raise our voices, stand up against child labour and work towards a world that respects and protects the right of every child.

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BUSINESS

Adamawa Mortgage Bank Faces ₦10 Billion Lawsuit for Alleged Contract Breach with Wisdom Kwati Smart City

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Wisdom Kwati Smart City Ltd, a prominent property development firm based in Abuja, has launched a lawsuit against Adamawa Mortgage Bank Ltd, seeking ₦10 billion in damages. The legal action follows a breach in a joint venture agreement between the two parties for a 20.5-hectare property development in Sangere Village, Yola South, Adamawa State.

Adamawa Mortgage Bank Faces ₦10 Billion Lawsuit for Alleged Contract Breach with Wisdom Kwati Smart City

Adamawa Mortgage Bank Faces ₦10 Billion Lawsuit for Alleged Contract Breach with Wisdom Kwati Smart City

The joint venture was established to transform the Sangere property into a large-scale residential development, with work already underway and over 3.5 billion invested in the construction of over 200 housing units and on the estate’s infrastructures. However, tensions arose when Adamawa Mortgage Bank publicly withdrew from the agreement, and without appropriate notice or engagement with the firm, released a statement on The Cable newspaper on November 9, 2024. In its announcement, the bank warned prospective buyers, stating:

“This is to inform the general public that Adamawa Mortgage Bank Ltd is not selling its land at Sangere-Wisdom Kwati Smart City. Anyone buying land at the property does so at his own risk. Take further notice that the bank has withdrawn from the joint venture agreement with Wisdom Kwati Smart City. Thank you. Signed Management.”

Following this statement, Wisdom Kwati Smart City Ltd, led by Chairman Mr. Wisdom Kwati, filed for both an interlocutory and interim injunction. The lawsuit names both Adamawa Mortgage Bank Ltd and its Managing Director, Dr. Noris Giscard Stanley, as defendants, alleging breach of contract and reputational harm caused by the bank’s public renouncement.

On November 14, 2024, the High Court of Justice of Adamawa State issued an interim injunction, temporarily restraining the mortgage bank from further actions related to the property until a resolution is reached. The court has ordered the defendants to respond to the claims and appear before the court within 30 days of receiving the summons.

The implications of the contract dispute are significant, given the current stage of the project. According to representatives of Wisdom Kwati Smart City Ltd, the company has invested over ₦3.5 billion in construction and developmental costs on over 200 buildings currently under construction at the site, of which over 50 units are at the finishing level of construction, and infrastructural development that are well into the third phase of the company’s five-phase development plan.

Industry observers suggest that a swift resolution of the dispute would be in the best interests of both parties and their investors, who rely on the stability of the joint venture to secure their investments. The project, originally designed to develop 317 mixed housing units, is already well past its midpoint, making it highly unreasonable for a partner to withdraw at this stage.

Wisdom Kwati Smart City Ltd has expressed a commitment to seeing the project through to completion and ensuring that stakeholders are kept informed of any significant developments in the case. Despite the legal steps taken, the real estate company has reportedly made several attempts to resolve the matter through dialogue, but the bank has reportedly not been forthcoming.

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Afreximbank Acts as Joint Lead Manager on Ecobank Transnational Incorporated’s USD 400mn Senior Unsecured Note Issuance

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The proceeds of the note will fund general corporate purposes of the issuer, including refinancing of a USD350 million senior bridge-to-bond loan facility that was jointly coordinated by Afreximbank in March 2024.

African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank”) (www.Afreximbank.com) is pleased to announce that it has successfully acted as Joint Lead Manager and Bookrunner on a USD 400 million 10.125% Rule 144a/RegS senior unsecured note issuance by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“ETI”) due in October 2029.

The proceeds of the note will fund general corporate purposes of the issuer, including refinancing of a USD350 million senior bridge-to-bond loan facility that was jointly coordinated by Afreximbank in March 2024.

The note issuance achieved peak orderbook oversubscription of 2.1x, backed by more than 70 high-quality and diverse investors comprising development finance institutions, asset managers, commercial banks and insurance companies from Africa, the UK, USA, Europe and the Middle East.

Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, commenting on the transaction, said: “We are pleased to have supported Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“ETI”) in placing the first public Eurobond issuance by any Sub-Saharan African financial institution since 2021, following our bridge financing support earlier in the year. This transaction underscores Afreximbank’s capacity and readiness to structure innovative market access solutions for our pan-African banking partners.”

Afreximbank’s Advisory and Capital Markets (ACMA) department acted as Joint Lead Manager and Bookrunner on the issuance, working alongside international and African partners.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Japan: African Development Bank Celebrates Three Decades of Japan-Backed Trust Fund

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Meeting with JIBC

Japan: African Development Bank Celebrates Three Decades of Japan-Backed Trust Fund

Over the past three decades, Japan has contributed JPY 5.3 billion ($ 37.4 million) to the PHRDG, supporting 107 projects, with 96 completed and 11 ongoing as of September 2024

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant (PHRDG), a bilateral trust fund created by Japan in 1994.The initiative has contributed significantly to the development of Africa’s human capital, supporting over 100 transformational projects across various sectors.

PRST at Keizai group

PRST at Keizai group

Presenting a commemorative publication on the trust fund at the Ministry of Finance in Tokyo on Wednesday, 16 October, Dr Akinwumi Adesina Adesina, African Development Bank Group President said the publication highlights three decades of successful collaboration and the impactful projects funded by the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant, as well as the critical role the grant has played in Africa’s socioeconomic development.

Over the past three decades, Japan has contributed JPY 5.3 billion ($ 37.4 million) to the PHRDG, supporting 107 projects, with 96 completed and 11 ongoing as of September 2024. In recent years, the trust fund has seen a notable increase in contributions, underscoring Japan’s renewed commitment to fostering a climate-smart, resilient, inclusive, and integrated Africa.

Japan’s Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Atsushi Mimura, said he was pleased the country’s partnership with the African Development Bank Group was going well. He pledged continued support, particularly for the African Development Fund, the private sector, and Japanese and African start-ups

“We look forward to deepening Japan’s relationship with the African Development Bank,” he said.

Mimura described the African Development Bank Group’s partnership with the World Bank’s plan to bring electricity to 300 million Africans (Mission 300) as a powerful narrative that draws attention to the continent’s energy needs.

Adesina commended Japan for its strong support of the African Dev?

elopment Fund, noting that the Fund has delivered impressive results. He sought the country’s support on a wide range of issues, including the 17th general replenishment of the African Development Fund, Mission 300 (http://apo-opa.co/3YcTfy2), Special Drawing Rights, the private sector, and start-ups, among others.

“We thank the people of Japan for standing in solidarity with the people of Africa,” Adesina said.

Since its establishment, the PHRDG has been a vehicle for Japan to share its expertise and experience in human resource development, empowering Africans to lead the transformation of their societies and economies. The grant has supported a wide range of projects aligned with Japan and the African Development Bank Group’s shared objective of human capital development. Officials said the projects have laid the groundwork for accelerated economic growth in Africa.

In a foreword to the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant at 30 publication, Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Daiho Fujii, expressed Japan’s pride in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the PHRDG.

“Japan is leading the international community’s efforts to overcome global challenges, particularly those affecting vulnerable populations. Through the PHRDG, we provide technical cooperation to develop the human resources that will drive Africa’s socioeconomic transformation. Our partnership with the African Development Bank Group is key to realizing a more resilient and prosperous Africa.”

As the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant enters its fourth decade, the African Development Bank Group and Japan have expressed eagerness to expand their partnership. With six new projects in the 2024–2025 pipeline, including initiatives in higher education, debt management, and climate-smart agriculture, the trust fund remains a critical tool for delivering impact across Africa, officials said.

Both parties pledged to continue to work hand in hand to unlock the potential of Africa’s human capital, fostering innovation and economic development for generations to come.

Japan–Africa Dream Scholarship Program: Investing in the Future

Among the most impactful PHRDG-funded initiatives is the Japan-Africa Dream Scholarship Program (JADS), launched in 2017. This program aims to develop Africa’s human capital by offering scholarships to high-achieving African students for master’s studies in fields such as agriculture, development economics, energy, and public health. To date, the program has awarded scholarships to 23 students from 10 African countries, two-thirds of whom are women.

Graduates of the JADS program have gone on to make significant contributions to their home countries. Alumni include Mary Yeboah Asantewaa from Ghana, who now works at SORA Technology in Accra, leveraging drone technology to control infectious diseases, and Glory Sibale from Malawi, who joined Tokyo’s Taiyo-Yuka recycling company, focusing on sustainable agricultural project management.

As part of his mission to Japan, Adesina also met with Nobumitsu Hayashi, the Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to expand collaboration in key areas, including agriculture, healthcare, energy access, support for youth entrepreneurs, critical minerals, and regional corridors.

Later Wednesday, Adesina met with the leadership of the Association of African Economic and Development Japan, where both parties discussed potential collaborations for impactful projects. He continued with meetings with Kanetsugu Mike, Chairman of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and Ken Shibuya, Co-Chairman of the Global South Africa Committee of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives).

The African Development Bank president invited business leaders to the 2024 Africa Investment Forum to be held in Rabat in December. Adesina also hosted representatives of the African diplomatic corps, development partners, and the private and public sectors, where they discussed leveraging co-creative relationships with Japanese companies and institutions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

 

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