Analysis of Socio-Economic Determinants of Child Labour in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The incidence of child labour persists in Lagos state, Nigeria despite the Child’s Rights Act 2003 that has been domesticated by the state. As a result, the study analyzed the socio-economic determinants of child labour in Lagos state, Nigeria. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were employed in the study. Specifically, Tobit regression was utilized to analyze the quantitative primary data collected through structured questionnaire from the study area. The findings revealed that increase in household income raises the probability of a child working with 1% level of significance. The findings further indicated that the educational level of the household head has no significant effect on child labour. The findings also indicate that the employment status of the household head does not significantly influence the likelihood of children engaging in work. Moreover, the findings revealed that the likelihood of the household head having dependents have a negative and insignificant impact the probability of a child engaging in work. Furthermore, the findings highlight that a child's gender does not significantly influence the likelihood of engaging in work. The study concluded that child labour in Lagos state is significantly influenced by household income, parent's employment status, the parent’s educational level and the level of dependency. The study recommended that affordable and accessible education in marginalized areas in order to boost school enrolment and retention rates, as well as reducing the amount of time children spend in labour.