…..commemorates world day against child labour and abuse with quiz competition
By Lucky Isibor
The Executive Director of Uromi Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (Uromi JDPCI) Very Rev. Fr Dr. Fidelis Arhedo has tasked parents, teachers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, security agencies and governments at various levels on the protection of children against child labour, exploitation andabuse; pointing out that safeguarding children is not optional, but a necessity and compulsory duty on all stakeholders to protect our future as a people.
Father Arhedo stated this on the commemoration of the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour and Abuse by Uromi JDPCI held at the Catholic Chancery, Uromi on Wednesday, 11 June. While noting that this year’s commemoration of the International Day for the Protection of Children Against Abuse and Labour with the theme: “Progress is clear, but there is more to do: Let’s speed up the efforts!”, Dr. Arhedo noted that the event serves as a reminder that the fight for the dignity, safety and well-being of our children is not over, urging all hands to be on deck.
“This commemoration serves as a solemn reminder that the fight for the dignity, safety, and well-being of our children is far from over. Across the globe, over 160 million children are engaged in child labour, with millions more suffering from abuse, neglect, and exploitation (ILO & UNICEF, 2021). These are not distant headlines—they are the harsh realities unfolding daily in our homes, schools, farms, markets, and streets. They represent a profound betrayal of our moral, legal, and spiritual responsibilities. Child labour and abuse rob children of their childhood, their innocence, and their God-given potential—and they call for urgent, coordinated action”.
While enumerating the causes and drivers of child labour and abuse, Fr. Arhedo pointed out that, “Child labour and abuse are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing, often flourishing in contexts characterized by poverty, inequality, displacement, and institutional weakness. Frequently, children are subjected to exploitation under the pretence of training, discipline, or cultural tradition. Child Labour, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally harmful to children and which interferes with their education. This includes hazardous work, domestic servitude, street hawking, agricultural labour, trafficking, and exploitative apprenticeship arrangements. Child Abuse encompasses physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect and harmful practices such as child marriage and corporal punishment. Such abuse may occur within families, educational institutions, religious organizations, correctional facilities, and online environments. Both child labour and abuse constitute serious violations of children’s rights and require urgent, coordinated interventions to safeguard their dignity, safety, and development.
“Children trapped in the cycles of child labour and abuse are denied not only their fundamental rights but also the joy, safety, and development they deserve. Addressing these issues requires tackling their root causes, which include poverty and economic hardship that force families to rely on children’s income; weak legal and social protection systems marked by inadequate funding and enforcement; harmful cultural practices that normalize exploitation; widespread lack of awareness about the long-term impacts of child labour and abuse; and poor implementation of child protection laws, such as Nigeria’s Child Rights Act (2003), which remains unenforced in some regions due to low awareness and limited political will”.
While thanking their partners, MISEREOR, the Uromi JDPCI Executive Director highlighted steps that stakeholders should take to protect children against exploitative labour and abuse; calling on them to “Be inspired to renew our commitment with urgency and purpose”.
“Safeguarding children is not optional, it is a shared and sacred responsibility entrusted to all of us, including parents, teachers, religious leaders, and civil society. Every child deserves to grow up in safety, to be heard, and to fulfil their potential. This requires creating safe spaces in homes, schools, churches, and communities; enforcing clear codes of conduct for all who work with children; and encouraging whistleblowing while protecting those who speak out. Silence in the face of abuse amounts to complicity. A Faith-Based Call to Action reminds us that as people of faith, we have a moral and spiritual duty to protect the vulnerable. Every faith tradition views children as blessings and symbols of hope. Our beliefs must inspire action: feeding the hungry, defending the weak, sheltering the abused, and healing the broken-hearted. Let us be the voice, the shield, and the sanctuary for children who cannot yet protect themselves. While we acknowledge the strides made so far in ending the scourge of child labour and abuse, we must recognize that the journey is far from complete”, Arhedo appealed.
Delivering a paper titled “Strengthening Protection Services and Safeguarding Children Against Labour and Abuse”, the guest speaker, Prof. Abraham Elakhe called on parents to be proactive in the protection of their wards and urged every adult to act as loco parentis to all the children in their community.
While pointing out that the children should not be blamed when they’re abused, Prof. Elakhe called on parents to stop being absentee parents, ensure their children trust them as they’ll only disclose their challenges to parents if they trust them.
In a good will message, Coordinator, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Esan North-East Local Government Area chapter, Apostle Julius Oseyomon who was represented by the Assistant Coordinator, Rev. Joseph Odesanmi urged parents not to provoke children into imbibing bad behaviour to enable them live a good life and realise their potentials.
Speaking on behalf of the Police, Assistant Suprintendent of Police, Nancy Godwin from Ekpoma Division assured that the Police will always do its best to protect children, adding that anyone found abusing any child will be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land.
In her good will message, Suprintendent Stella Ibharaiyi who represented the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) urged the children to speak out whenever they spot an abuse saying, “When you see something, say something”.
The Chief Inspector of Education (CIE), Esan Central Local Government Area, Benard Aghomon appealed to all parents to take every child in their community as their own, act as father or mother to them and ensure they are not abused.
In a remark, an Ekpoma based legal practitioner and supervisor of Uromi JDPCI paralegal for Esan Central, Esan West and Igueben Local Government Areas, Cletus Omonzejele (Esq) pointed out that children have rights to bring irresponsible parents who fail to care for their children or are contravening the child rights law before the courts, adding that there are special courts for that purpose known as family courts.
High point of the commemoration ceremony was a quiz competition which saw six schools in Edo Central Senatorial District participating. At the end of the quiz, Maltida Egbeyan of Idunwele Girls Secondary School, Ewu came first, Annaunciation Catholic College, Irrua came second, while Opoji Secondary/Commercial School, Opoji came third.
The winner went home with N50,000 cash prize, a school bag, 12 notebooks and a mathematical set; the second position got a cash price of N30,000, a school bag, 12 notebooks and a mathematical set; while the third position got N20,000 cash, a school bag, 12 notebooks and a mathematical set.
All the students from the various secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District who attended the event went home with various gift items which include sanitary pads and toiletries for the female students, while the male students got toilet rolls and bathroom slippers.