BUSINESS

CHILD LABOUR: HARMING OUR FUTURE GENERATION

Published

2 years ago

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:

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.
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.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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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Why Cozi Furniture Is The Best Place For Furniture Of Every Budget In Maryland

Published

3 weeks ago

Christopher

Why Cozi Furniture Is The Best Place For Furniture Of Every Budget In Maryland

Furniture enhances a home’s beauty, as it tends not just to occupy space but to give it a look that exudes comfort. But there has always been a narrative that high-quality furniture comes with a high cost, as it is mostly for high-end users—this is not entirely true, as you can get furniture pieces within your budget without breaking the bank. One furniture store that is changing this narrative and making affordable, top-quality furniture available to the residents of Maryland, D.C., Virginia, and its environs is Cozi Furniture.

Who Is Cozi Furniture?

Cozi Furniture is the leading furniture store in the DMV area, offering quality home furniture at affordable prices. It has a physical store in New Carrollton, Maryland, and an online store where you can conveniently shop for your furniture products. These are furniture from reputable brands like Ashley Furniture, Crown Mark, and Coaster 22 Premium.

Why Cozi Furniture Is The Best Place For Furniture Of Every Budget In Maryland

Cozi Furniture offers bedroom sets, living room sets, mattresses, home office sets, dining room sets, entertainment sets, outdoor furniture, and accessories in various forms and styles.

What Makes Cozi Furniture The Best Furniture Store For Every Budget?

1. Affordable Prices

Cozi Furniture understands that budget is a top concern for many customers. Hence, it is committed to offering affordable prices on all the furniture pieces at its store. From sofas and loveseats to dining tables and bedroom sets, there is a wide range of furniture for every budget.

Notably, the furniture prices at Cozi Furniture are not what you can describe as “too good to be true” because all the products at the store are of high quality. Its furniture is made with top-quality materials and crafted with attention to detail, ensuring that every piece is stylish and durable. This makes Cozi Furniture the best place to buy furniture in Maryland.

2. Furniture Financing Program

In its bid to make high-quality furniture available to everybody, Cozi Furniture introduced a financing program called “Buy Now Pay Later” that allows you to get your preferred furniture and pay over 48 months with 0% interest. This means that you can purchase any furniture at the store without any down payment, with the opportunity to spread your payment across about four (4) years.

Therefore, you can get the furniture and pay monthly until you complete the payment. This flexible payment plan enables you to afford that comfy Warnerton Living Room Set or the 12-inch Ashley Hybrid King Mattress at the store.

3. Discounted Sales

Cozi Furniture is offering its furniture pieces at discounted prices. So you can save up to 23% on the furniture you buy from the store—both online and offline. For instance, the Mindanao Power Reclining Sofa that used to sell for $1,538 will be available for $1,183. This also applies to the Bolanburg Dining Set and other accessories at the store.

4. Return And Refund Policy

While Cozi Furniture upholds the sale and delivery of top-quality furniture, the company also has a return and refund plan in the event that you’re unsatisfied with the furniture delivered to you. Therefore, you can either request an exchange or ask for a refund. All these are to ensure the optimum satisfaction of its customers.

Cozi Furniture clearly understands the value of spending money on a product, which is why ensuring that the furniture gets a high-quality product in a good state is a greater priority.

Conclusion

Cozi Furniture is undoubtedly the ultimate destination for affordable, high-quality furniture in Maryland. The store is open to customers of every budget, and various features ensure that you create a beautiful and functional home.

Contact Cozi Furniture today to furnish your home with style and class.

BUSINESS

DealMakers AFRICA Recognizes Top Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dealmakers in West Africa

Published

1 month ago

Christopher

DealMakers AFRICA Recognizes Top Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dealmakers in West Africa

West Africa’s most significant mergers and acquisitions, along with the financial and legal advisers behind them, have been recognised in the recently released 2024 DealMakers AFRICA Annual Awards. The awards highlight transactions that have shaped the region’s corporate landscape, acknowledging the firms and individuals driving complex deals across industries.

The DealMakers AFRICA awards are determined primarily by objective criteria, assessing the value and number of transactions recorded. However, three categories—Deal of the Year, Private Equity Deal of the Year, and Individual DealMaker of the Year—are selected based on nominations from advisory firms. These are evaluated based on factors such as deal complexity, transformational impact, and potential value creation.

DealMakers AFRICA Recognizes Top Mergers, Acquisitions, and Dealmakers in West Africa

In the West Africa Deal of the Year category, four major transactions were shortlisted. These included Olam Agri’s acquisition of Avisen, Chappal Energies’ purchase of Equinor’s Nigerian business, Renaissance Africa Energy’s acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, and the acquisition of Flour Mills by Excelsior Shipping. The winning deal in this category was the acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company by Renaissance Africa Energy, a transaction that aligns with Nigeria’s broader objective of increasing local participation in the energy sector. The deal saw ownership of critical onshore assets consolidated under a consortium of Nigerian companies, reinforcing local players’ roles in the industry. PwC Nigeria, Banwo & Ighodalo, Clifford Chance, White & Case, and G. Elias served as advisers on the transaction.

For the Private Equity Deal of the Year, three deals were in contention, including CardinalStone Partners’ exit from i-Fitness to Verod, Verod and its partners’ investment in Moniepoint, and Adenia Partners’ sale of Cresta Paints to Uhuru Investment Partners. The award was given to CardinalStone Partners for its exit from i-Fitness to Verod, a deal expected to drive i-Fitness’ next growth phase through Verod’s operational expertise and financial backing. The transaction was facilitated by Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, CardinalStone Capital Partners, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, and Olaniwun Ajayi.

The Individual DealMaker of the Year award, sponsored for the second consecutive year by PSG Capital, recognised five shortlisted professionals: Akinola Akinboboye of Deloitte, Ayotunde Owoigbe of Banwo & Ighodalo, Azeezah Muse-Sadiq of Banwo & Ighodalo, Daniel Adeoye of Verod, and Yewande Senbore of Olaniwun Ajayi. The award went to Daniel Adeoye, a partner at Verod, for his role in executing high-value transactions in the region.

Adenia Partners’ acquisition of Air Liquide subsidiaries across Africa was recognised with the DealMakers AFRICA Special Recognition award. The deal spanned 12 countries across three regions, with Adenia committing up to €30 million over the next five years to strengthen and expand the newly formed entity, Erium. The transaction was advised by Decrop Consulting, Asafo & Co, Fidal Avocats, Deloitte, DPGS & Alliance Partners, and ClassM.

The awards also acknowledged the top-performing financial and legal advisory firms in West Africa’s mergers and acquisitions landscape. PwC emerged as the leading financial adviser by deal value, followed by Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, Citigroup Global Markets, and Treadstone Resource Partners. Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria and Stanbic IBTC Capital shared the top spot for financial advisory by deal activity.

Banwo & Ighodalo was named the top legal adviser by deal value, ahead of Clifford Chance, G. Elias, and White & Case. In terms of deal flow, Banwo & Ighodalo secured the top position, followed by Olaniwun Ajayi and Herbert Smith Freehills.

For equity transactions, Stanbic IBTC Capital was ranked the top financial adviser by transaction value, while Templars led as the top legal adviser in the same category. In debt transactions, Afreximbank ranked highest by value, while Olaniwun Ajayi led in legal advisory.

DealMakers AFRICA, which launched its awards in 2000 in South Africa and expanded to the rest of the continent in 2008, continues to highlight key transactions that shape African economies. The latest rankings reflect the growing sophistication of West Africa’s mergers and acquisitions landscape, as local and international firms navigate complex deals that are reshaping industries across the region.

BUSINESS

African Development Bank signs $45 million grant agreement with Chad for asphalting of the Kyabé-Mayo road section

Published

2 months ago

Christopher

African Development Bank signs $45 million grant agreement with Chad for asphalting of the Kyabé-Mayo road section

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the government of Chad have signed a grant agreement worth $44.9 million to finance the asphalting of the 49.5-kilometre Kyabé-Mayo section of the Kyabé-Singako road, including the construction of a 55-metre bridge.

The agreement was signed in N’Djamena on 19 February 2025 by Tahir Hamid Nguilin, Minister of State for Finance, Budget, Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, and Claude N’Kodia, the Bank’s Acting Representative in Chad. Several members of the Chadian government were also present, including the Minister for Infrastructure, Access-Improvement and Road Maintenance, Amir Idriss Kourda, and the Secretary of State for Finance and Budget, Ali Djadda Kampard. Also present was a delegation from the International Monetary Fund, led by its head of mission for Chad, Julien Reynaud,

African Development Bank signs $45 million grant agreement with Chad for asphalting of the Kyabé-Mayo road section

The funding will support one of the Chadian government’s key development objectives through strategic infrastructure improvement.

“The [Moyen-Chari] region, including Kyabé, Singako and Am Timan, has strong economic potential. It is Chad’s main agricultural basin and livestock area, rich in fish resources. Fish are supplied from Moyen-Chari to a large part of the country’s south and even to foreign markets,” stated Nguilin, also the Bank’s Governor for Chad.

The road project will open up southern and eastern regions of Chad, reduce vulnerability, and strengthen the resilience of local populations, especially women and young people. It will improve the transportation of goods and people between Kyabé and Singako by providing an all-weather road, facilitating the flow of agricultural and animal products from the rich areas of Moyen-Chari and Salamat to the consumer centers of Sarh, Moundou, N’Djamena and Abéché. It will also enhance accessibility to Moyen-Chari from neighboring Sudan.

The agreement paves the way for support from the Islamic Development Bank to finance the second section of the 205-kilometer Mayo-Singako-Am Timan at an estimated cost of $275.5 million.

“The African Development Bank is a strategic partner of Chad, particularly in the transport sector. The construction of the road section will reduce the overall cost of transport in Moyen-Chari […] and improve the living conditions of local people thanks to easier access to health and education facilities and to the country’s main consumer centers,” said N’Kodia.

The Kyabé-Mayo section of the Kyabé-Singako road is one of the missing links in the N’Djamena-Moundou-Sarh-Kyabé-Am Timan-Abéché corridor and forms part of the priority structuring network that the Chadian government aims to develop to ensure nationwide coverage and permanent accessibility.

The African Development Bank Group remains a strategic financial partner for Chad, with its strategy paper focusing on two priority pillars: developing infrastructure to achieve strong and diversified economic growth and promoting good governance to increase the effectiveness of public action and the attractiveness of the economic environment.

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