President Tinubu launched a new 4 year plan to stop child labour and send every Nigerian child back to school.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a total fight against child labour across Nigeria by officially launching the National Policy and Action Plan covering the years 2026 to 2030.
The President announced this new plan in Abuja on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during a special national meeting on child protection.
Under this new government programme, all federal ministries, state governors, local council leaders, and business owners have received direct orders to stop using young children for heavy manual work.
Instead of letting young boys and girls break rocks, carry heavy loads in markets, or work on cocoa farms, the government wants every child under working age to be inside a classroom learning from books.
The main reason President Tinubu launched this action plan is that millions of Nigerian children are currently missing school because their families are poor and force them to work for money.
Latest report figures released alongside the policy show that over 24 million children across the thirty-six states and Abuja are doing hard work that is bad for their health and safety.
The President explained that when a small child works on the street instead of reading in school, that child loses their future, their health, and their chance to become a great leader tomorrow.
To fix this problem, the new policy will give more financial support to poor parents, hire more inspectors to catch bosses using child workers, and rebuild public schools so children can learn free of charge.
Speaking forcefully about the need to protect young boys and girls, President Bola Tinubu shared his strong stance on the matter.
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Explaining why protecting children must be the duty of everyone in the country, President Tinubu said, “Every nation is judged by how well it protects its children. A child who is forced into labour instead of attending school loses more than an education. That child loses opportunities, confidence, health and the chance to fully contribute to national development“.
Insisting that the government will no longer tolerate talk without action, the President added, “I am pleased that the National Child Labour Policy and the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2026-2030), which we are launching today, provide a practical roadmap for translating our international commitments into measurable national action”.
Urging leaders across all 36 states to join the movement, he emphasized that “Nigeria must now move beyond commitment to action to guarantee every Nigerian child access to education, protection and a childhood free from exploitation”.
International bodies like the International Labour Organisation, the European Union, and the World Bank are supporting Nigeria with money and tools to enforce the new law.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
