Child Labour and the Right to Education in Ogun State: A Human Rights Assessment

This study assesses the intersection between child labour and the right to education in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, situating the analysis within Nigeria's human rights obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Child labour remains a persistent challenge in both urban and peri-urban communities in Ogun State, where economic hardship compels families to withdraw children from school to engage in commercial activities. The research adopts a mixed-methods design incorporating surveys administered to households across three local government areas, as well as interviews with teachers, community leaders, and representatives of the Ogun State Ministry of Education. Secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF Nigeria reports on out-of-school children are also analyzed. The findings reveal a strong negative correlation between child labour participation and school enrollment rates, with significant disparities along gender lines. Legislative frameworks, including the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, are assessed against observed realities on the ground. The study recommends targeted social welfare interventions, school feeding programs, and stricter enforcement of child labour laws at the local government level. This work contributes to undergraduate human rights scholarship by grounding global norms in local Nigerian realities. Keywords: child labour, right to education, Ogun State, child rights, social protection.