‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children at Higher Risk

Children in and near Benin City are at higher risk of being trafficked as Benin City is a major human trafficking hub in Africa, with children trafficked for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Further, children from primarily rural areas within the country are at higher risk of being subjected to child labor, with girls recruited for domestic work and sex trafficking, while boys are recruited for street vending, domestic work, mining, agriculture, and begging. Despite notable military advances and proclamations of Boko Haram’s defeat by government forces, the group remained a security threat in 2023, with escalating attacks by both Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) West Africa in Nigeria's northeastern regions. These attacks have contributed to the displacement of more than 2 million Nigerians, of which 56 percent are children.

Barriers to Education Access

Research suggests that one-third of all Nigerian children are out of school. Northeastern and northwestern states have female primary net attendance rates of 47.7 percent and 47.3 percent, respectively. Rapid population growth in Nigeria is also driving the informal education sector, with several million boys in the north going to Quranic schools known as Almajiri. The government does not officially recognize these schools, and students attending Almajiri schools are officially considered to be out of school. The Almajiri system includes a component of child labor, with some teachers tasking older children with menial jobs and other children forced into begging. Reports also suggest that children lacking birth certificates or other formal documentation have been denied access to public schools. Although it is unclear how widespread this issue is, research suggests that it is most common in the northeastern region and rural areas. In addition, the widespread increase in kidnappings, killings, village raids, and cattle-rustling throughout the Northwest and North Central regions led by organized criminal groups has also contributed to the intermittent closure of schools throughout the region, with these challenges being more acute in rural areas. Although free and compulsory education is federally mandated by the Education Act, little enforcement of compulsory education laws occurs at the state level. School fees are often charged in practice, and the cost of materials can be prohibitive for families. When families experience economic hardship, the enrollment of boys is typically prioritized over the enrollment of girls. Other barriers to education include a lack of trained teachers, sexual harassment, inadequate sanitation facilities, poor infrastructure, and fear of abduction or attack by Boko Haram while at school, particularly for girls in the northeastern part of the country.

* Country has no conscription

In Nigeria, 35 of the 36 states have adopted and implemented the Child's Right Act (CRA), leaving the state of Kano in northern Nigeria with a legal statute that does not meet international standards for the prohibition against the use of children in illicit activities. Furthermore, under the CRA, certain provisions of the Labor Act that are not in compliance with international standards may remain in force. This includes Section 59, which sets the minimum age for employment at age 12 in contradiction to the CRA, which only permits children under age 18 to engage in light work for family members. The minimum age for work is lower than the compulsory education age of 15, which may encourage children to leave school before the completion of compulsory education. In addition, the Labor Act permits children of any age to do light work in agriculture and domestic work if they are working with a family member, which does not meet international standards. Furthermore, the minimum age protections in the Labor Act do not apply to children who are self-employed or working in the informal economy. Lastly, children are not excluded from the Terrorism Prevention Act's penalty of life imprisonment for assisting in acts of terrorism and are implicitly included as people in the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act.

In 2023, 733 labor inspectors conducted 17,068 worksite inspections, finding 453 child labor violations. It is unknown whether investigations into suspected cases of the worst forms of child labor were conducted, prosecutions were initiated, or perpetrators were convicted.

‡ The government had other policies that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor.

For information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
† Program is funded by the Government of Nigeria.

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