The government gave the assurance through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige in Abuja during the commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour 2018 with the theme: Generation Safe and Healthy” and sub-theme: Elimination of Child Labour and Protection of young workers.

According to him, “this campaign also aims at accelerating action to achieve target 8.7/alliance 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals which seeks among other things, to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

“Child Labour is the engagement of children under 18 years of age in any work that deprives them of their childhood and the opportunity to be educated and also hampers their physical and moral development and this has assumed a global dimension and attention, hence this year’s theme is meant to awaken the need to improve the safety and health of young workers and end child labour especially in its worst forms.

• “To build a generation of safe and healthy workers, preparation must begin early with parental and community awareness for young people to be aware of risks and able to advocate on their own behalf, education about work hazards and risks as well as about workers’ rights, need to start in school and continue through vocational training and apprenticeship programmes.”