FG adopts new policy on child labour

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Thursday rose from its weekly meeting with the adoption of a draft policy on child labour. It has a specific target of addressing the challenges of estimated six million Nigerian children said to be victims of child labour

The Council also approved the sum of N2.4 billion for the establishment of Command Control Communication and Intelligence Centre for Seaports at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which is expected to be completed within 14 months.

Labour and Productivity Minister, Chukwuemeka Wogu, who along with information and transport, counterparts Mr. Labaran Maku and Senator Idris Umar, told State House correspondents that the draft policy was presented to Council by his Ministry to address the prevalence of child labour, which undermines national development and provides a reservoir of children for easy recruitment into violent act.

The policy, Wogu said, was adopted after a wide consultation with different tiers of government, labour union, employers’ associations, civil society and faith-based groups.

“The National Policy on Child Labour will provide the needed coordinated and comprehensive framework for multi-sectorial action against the worst forms of child labour in Nigeria,” he said.

The Council also approved the ratification of the Constitution and Cooperation Agreement establishing the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).

WASCAL, which works in partnership with local experts and institutions in Africa, Maku, explained, is a German government initiative for pursuit of research on climate change and sustainable land management.

Under the initiative, the Federal Universities of Technology, Akure and Minna were selected as competent centres to run Ph.d and M.Sc programmes respectively under the initiative.

“Because Nigeria stands to benefit scientifically and socio-economically in the WASCAL programme, Council approves that Nigeria ratifies the Cooperation Agreement and the Constitution establishing WASCAL. Council directed that other necessary processes be initiated by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, towards the ratification of this treaty and its domestication,” Maku said.

Umar said Council approved the establishment of Command Control Communication and Intelligence Centre for Seaports at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). He put the cost of the project at N2.3 billion with a completion period of 14 months.

He noted that the project would help in providing a secure environment for ports operations within the Nigerian territorial waters and in curtailing threat of terrorist activity in the ports.

He said the project would also create a total of 145 job opportunities, including 33 professionals and 77 non- professionals during its execution and 35 more jobs as the project progressed.

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