General Yakubu Gowon, 1970s administration:
- it was a serious offense for anyone to engage a child in any form of labor, particularly during the school hours.
- Any child caught working during school hours was apprehended and held until his or her parents or guardiancame forth to plea for his or her release.
- Upon the release of the child, the parents or guardian paid a fine to the government worth about 100 Naira (US$1.85).
- However, the ouster of Gowon in 1975 led to the abrogation of the law
Center for Women’s Affairs, 2002 and WOMEN Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation (a nongovernmental organization owned and controlled by the wife of the vice-president of Nigeria, Mrs. Titi Abubakar)
- sponsor a bill to outlaw any form of child labor.
- to implement a law that would put an end to the problem of women trafficking and child labor in Nigeria.
- According to Mrs. Abubakar, the old laws did not even mention giving assistance to the victims, but this oversight has been eliminated by the new law.
The Child Rights Bill,
- was signed into law in 2001 by President Obasanjo, was initially rejected by the National Assembly some legislators rejecting it for religious reasons, others for cultural reasons when it was presented.
- However, after criticisms by civil rights groups, the legislators were forced to reintroduce the bill and pass it into law
The United Nations Children’s Fund Representative in Nigeria, Exio Giani Muzi:
- applauded the government for signing the bill into law.
- “We join Nigeria’s children and other partners in applauding this proof of commitment to fulfilling the rights of Nigerian Children,” said Muzi.
- The fund called for harsher punishments for parents who abuse their children.
Some provisions of the new Child Rights Act:
- prescribed a fine of about 2000 Naira (US$20), but the parliament wanted jail terms ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment for violators.
- It also demanded life imprisonment for perpetrators of child marriage, which under the new act carries a fine of 2000 Naira (US$20).
- This law will go a long way to putting an end to the barbaric attitudes expressed more than the earlier law did, which handed out a jail term of just 2 years to violators.
- There is now pressure from the civil populace on the Nigerian federal government to implement the law.
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