Addressing Child Labor through Community Sensitization in Nigeria
Policy Context
Child labor remains a significant challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, where the region bears the highest prevalence globally. An estimated 26% of children aged 5–17—roughly 72 million—are engaged in child labor, with 31.5 million involved in hazardous work that puts their health and development at risk. In Nigeria, the most populous country on the continent, 39.2% of Nigerian children—approximately 24.6 million—are engaged in child labor. These realities call for context-sensitive interventions that both protect children and sustain rural livelihoods.
In rural Nigerian communities, child labor in agriculture is normalized through social norms and economic necessity. While the participation of children in rural work may contribute to their skill development, it frequently involves hazardous conditions that compromise their well-being and future prospects. Many farming communities remain unaware of the long-term effects of child labor on children’s health, education, and development.
This study seeks to measure the impact of a sensitization campaign on community norms surrounding child labor. The campaign aims to empower rural households to distinguish between age-appropriate tasks and exploitative labor, reduce harmful practices, and improve awareness of children’s rights. It will feature targeted training on the risks of child labor, workers’ rights, and safer agricultural practices—equipping communities to protect their children while sustaining their livelihoods.
Study Design
The intervention will be implemented as a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 32 rural communities in four local government areas of Oyo State—a region with high prevalence of child labor. In each community, 12 households will be selected to participate, yielding a total study sample of 384 households.
Communities will be randomly chosen to receive the sensitization campaign targeted towards parents. Chosen households will watch a video playlet dramatizing the harms of child labor and promoting age-appropriate tasks, along with a visual wall chart to be hung in each participating household as a constant reminder of safer practices. These materials are designed to trigger reflection, raise awareness, and shift social norms at the household level. Control communities will not screen the campaign video during the study period.
To evaluate impact, the research team will administer baseline and endline household surveys to measure key outcomes such as prevalence of child labor, school enrollment, and awareness of harmful labour practices. This design allows the team to identify whether providing rural households with simple, visual, and culturally resonant tools can generate meaningful shifts in attitudes and behaviors around child labor.
Results & Policy Lessons
Results forthcoming.
