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The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have agreed to collaborate to eliminate Child Labour in the Cocoa, Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) supply chains in Nigeria.
ILO and NECA made the disclosure in a joint statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
Both organisations said that progress would be made through the Accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in supply chains in Africa” (ACCEL Africa) Project.
According to them, ACCEL Africa is a four-year project funded by the Dutch Government and implementation in Nigeria is from May 2019 to October 2022.
Mr Dennis Zulu, the Director/ILO Country Officer for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, commended NECA for its critical role in the fight for the elimination of the worst forms of Child Labour.
“NECA engaged in tripartite discussions on the issue of child labour, providing inputs into legislation and encouraging the implementation of ILO child labour conventions’ principles at national, state and enterprise level.
“Furthermore, employers’ organisation have been encouraging their members to stop employing child labour and to be more aware of and discourage adverse hiring practices of their suppliers that took advantage of child labour.
‘’We are hopeful that through the ACCEL Africa Project we can continue to strengthen NECA’s involvement in all tiers of child labour elimination, as well as NECA’s capacity to effectively eliminate child labour in supply chains in the private sector, ‘’ he said.
Also, NECA’S Director-General, Mr Timothy Olawale, said that the association would work with employers and other stakeholders in the organised private sector to review and develop policies to respond to child labour.
Olawale said: “NECA will also support the capacity building and formalisation of associations in the Cocoa and Mining Sectors as Employers’ Associations.
“This is to ensure the institutionalization of fair labour practices and decent work in line with extant labour laws and ILO Conventions.” (NAN)
Aug. 11, 2020 | 22:18
Tags: ILO NECA collaborate to eliminate child Labour in Nigeria
