-Yahuza Bawage
Usman Isah Abdullahi, a native of Bunkure in the Nigerian state of Kano, had to leave school after finishing his primary education due to financial constraints. His parents couldn’t afford to continue his schooling, which led him to migrate to Ibadan in Southwestern Nigeria in search of work.
Upon arriving in Ibadan, Usman stayed with his brother and started selling cassettes. His life would change in 2012 when the Galilee Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to aiding inner-city street children, launched a project aimed at eradicating the worst forms of child labour in the Iwo Road, Sabo, Agbaje, and Bodija communities of Nigeria’s Oyo state.
Before launching the project, the foundation discovered Sabo, Usman’s community, as a predominantly Hausa-speaking Muslim neighbourhood. Home to approximately 25,000 people, the community is primarily composed of migrants from northern Nigeria and other African countries. Situated in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Sabo is led by a traditional ruler known as the Sarkin Sabo.
Sabo is a community with polygamous practices and early child marriages leading to high birth rates and poverty. Women have limited economic roles, while the financial burden rests on men. “Within this community, different types of child labour activities persist such as street hawking, beggars-guide and scavenging. Many of the children are not schooling, seriously impoverished and unkempt. The major trade of the people is mainly transaction in foreign exchange, trade in cows and other petty businesses,” the project team stated.
A Battle Against Child Labour
A 2013 survey by NOIPolls revealed that child labour is a severe problem in Nigeria. Eight in 10 Nigerians reported seeing children involved in labour, and most believe poverty is the main cause.
Usman was among the children identified with child labour in Sabo. To address the prevalence, awareness campaigns were conducted in the four targeted communities. Bodija and Agbaje residents were reached through rallies and community meetings. Iwo Road’s dispersed population necessitated a mobile awareness campaign carried out using a truck for safe and efficient outreach. In Sabo, local youth were mobilized to effectively disseminate the information. These efforts aimed to educate the communities about child rights, the importance of education, and the harmful consequences of child labour.
“As part of the awareness programme, Two (2) Radio discussions on Child labour was conducted at Amuludun FM (Bose Nlo) and Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria (FRCN) FM. Two (2) television programmes at Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) “Saturday Special” and Muhri International television (MiTV),” the project team explained.
The intervention also involved conducting focus group discussions with community and market leaders to gather diverse perspectives. To enhance community engagement, ten-member Child Labour Monitoring Committees (CLMCs) were established in each community. These committees met bi-monthly until the project concluded in February 2014.
Transforming lives
The intervention, however, changed Usman’s life. With the foundation’s support, he returned to school and completed junior secondary school. “They provided us with all necessary materials and after completing my junior secondary school, I returned to Kano and continued my education with my brother’s support,” Usman said.
Like Usman, Hafsat Shehu’s family grappled with severe financial difficulties in 2013, forcing her to sell water to support them. The foundation’s tailoring training and sewing machine provision empowered Hafsat and other girls in Sabo. And Hafsat would eventually use her earnings to return to school.
“The support from them [Galilee Foundation] transformed my life. It allowed me to become self-reliant,” Hafsat said.
Sumayya Shehu, Hafsat’s sister, recounted their family’s financial struggles, particularly in covering school fees. Prior to the foundation’s intervention, their mother was eking out a living by selling rice, water, and other drinks. Learning tailoring and receiving sewing machines through the foundation has proved to be a lifeline for the family, according to Sumayya. Although they were grateful, she noted a lack of continued support or training after the initial assistance.
The project team shared that the intervention has seen 70 teenagers aged 14 to 17, withdrawn from harmful child labour (HCL) and provided with protection services, vocational skills, and literacy training. Eighty younger children, between 5 and 17, were also rescued from HCL and provided with shelter, education, and skills development. Preventive measures were implemented in the four communities, safeguarding 180 children at risk of HCL through formal and informal educational programs.
Sustaining The Impact
Despite facing challenges, the project’s successes are evident. Usman, now a final-year Public Health student at the Federal College of Health Science and Technology Wudil, Kano, attributes the intervention for transforming his life.
“The [Galilee Foundation] has laid a solid foundation for my education because I can even be self-reliant from the course I’m studying after graduation,” he asserted. “I have never gotten any support after that intervention except recently when someone came from Lagos and called me where we met at Kano state ministry of health. He snapped my pictures and videos, then dashed 10k to me. I so much enjoyed the 10k because I used the money to pay my graduation fees.”
Although unemployed, Hafsat cherishes the project’s impact. The opportunity led her to earn a Higher National Diploma in Microbiology from Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, in 2024. Her sister, Sumayya, also a 2024 Biochemistry graduate from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, is currently job-hunting. Both sisters now live in their hometown, Sokoto.
Sumayya urges parents to prioritize education over street hawking, emphasizing its importance, especially for girls. Hafsat offers words of encouragement to child labourr victims: “my message is do not give up. We didn’t, and it made all the difference today.”
While Usman believes in the power of education to transform lives, he encourages young people to focus on their studies regardless of challenges. “Education is the key to reaching your goals and supporting others. My ambition is to secure a scholarship to further my education abroad, and I hope my dream comes true,” he said in his Kano’s residence during an interview.
