Assessment of Child Labour and Poverty in Rural Niger State

Child labour is both a symptom and a perpetuator of poverty, and understanding this relationship in rural Niger State helps inform social policy to break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage. This study assessed the relationship between household poverty and child labour prevalence among children aged 5 to 17 in Suleja, Lapai, and Agaie Local Government Areas, Niger State, North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of 280 households was conducted. Data covered household expenditure, children's occupation, school attendance, hours of weekly work, labour activity type, and parents' education. Chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and logistic regression were applied. Child labour prevalence was 38.9 percent. Households below the poverty line showed significantly higher child labour rates (52.3 percent) than non-poor households (14.7 percent). Domestic chores constituted the most common labour form (44.5 percent), followed by farm work (33.8 percent). Children engaged in labour had significantly lower school attendance rates. Logistic regression confirmed household poverty (OR = 4.1, p < 0.001) and low paternal education (OR = 2.7, p < 0.01) as the primary predictors. Recommendations include expanding Niger State Conditional Cash Transfer coverage to poor rural households, enforcing compulsory school attendance laws, and providing social work services to households with high child labour reliance in the three surveyed LGAs. Keywords: child labour, poverty, Niger State, rural households, school attendance