Kaduna Ginger Producing Communities Unite to Tackle Child Labour

News in brief:

-Christian association convened stakeholders in Kachia to strengthen efforts to eliminate child labour in Southern Kaduna’s ginger-producing communities.

-Participants agreed on community-based action plans to improve monitoring, enforcement and child protection compliance across the supply chain.

The Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) has intensified efforts to eradicate child labour within the ginger supply chain in Southern Kaduna.

The association made the call during a one-day Stakeholders’ Debriefing, Learning and Sustainability Workshop on Child Labour Awareness Creation in Ginger Production held in Kachia, Kaduna State.

Participants from Fai in Jaba and Kachia came together to review progress, assess findings and develop sustainable strategies to address child labour in ginger-producing communities.

Raising Awareness on Child Protection

Speaking at the event, Project Consultant Michael Agon said the programme forms part of broader efforts to eliminate child labour in the region’s ginger value chain.

He explained that the awareness training aimed to educate communities, farmers, processors, policymakers and other stakeholders on the dangers and long-term social consequences of child labour.

“Child labour robs children of their childhood, education and future potential. It includes any work that deprives children of schooling or is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful,” he said.

Agon cited global data indicating that approximately 160 million children were engaged in child labour as of 2020, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording the highest prevalence. He added that about 79 million children worldwide are involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety or moral development.

Drivers of Child Labour in Ginger Communities

According to Agon, poverty, limited access to education, weak law enforcement, harmful social norms and low awareness are major drivers of child labour in ginger-producing areas of Southern Kaduna.

The engagement aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of current prevention and remediation strategies, review assessment data, strengthen stakeholder coordination and develop clear action plans with defined timelines and responsibilities.

He emphasised the importance of promoting accountability and compliance with child protection laws and ethical standards among employers and community members.

Community Commitment to Reform

Mrs Ruth Danladi from Fai described the workshop as timely because many families unknowingly involve children in farm activities that interfere with schooling.

“We now understand better the difference between helping at home and exploitative labour. As community leaders, we will work with parents to ensure children remain in school,” she said.

John Bako, a ginger farmer from Kachia, pledged farmers’ support for eliminating child labour in the supply chain, stressing that improved awareness and support mechanisms would enable producers to adopt child-safe farming practices.

Samuel Luka, a schoolteacher, highlighted the role of educators in identifying at-risk children, noting that absenteeism, fatigue and poor academic performance should prompt immediate intervention and collaboration with parents and relevant authorities.

Sustainable Monitoring and Enforcement

Participants agreed on the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies, non-governmental organisations, supplier companies, traditional and religious leaders, schools and law enforcement bodies.

They resolved to develop community-based action plans to ensure continuous monitoring, awareness creation and enforcement of child protection measures as long-term sustainability strategies in Southern Kaduna’s ginger-producing communities.