Child Labour and International Labour Standards: The Role of ILO Conventions in Nigeria’s North West Zone

This study examines the prevalence of child labour in Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone in light of International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions, particularly Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. States such as Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi have among the highest rates of out-of-school children and child labour in Nigeria, raising serious concerns about compliance with international labour standards. The research adopts a descriptive methodology, drawing on recent ILO and UNICEF reports, household surveys, and legal literature to map the gap between Nigeria's ratification commitments and on-the-ground reality. The paper critically evaluates Nigeria's Child Rights Act and its domestication across the North West states, most of which have yet to adopt the Act in its entirety. It identifies structural drivers of child labour including poverty, limited access to education, and cultural norms permitting early entry into the workforce, particularly through the Almajiri system. The study further examines the institutional roles of the Ministry of Labour, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and civil society organisations in enforcing child protection laws. Recommendations include accelerated domestication of the Child Rights Act, expanded social protection programmes, and targeted interventions to reintegrate Almajiri children into the formal education system. Keywords: child labour, ILO, North West Nigeria, Child Rights Act, minimum age.