Stakeholders have called for increased community participation and continued government intervention to sustain the progress achieved under a child labour eradication initiative implemented in ginger-producing communities in Kaduna State.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during the Project Close-Out Brainstorming Workshop on the Eradication of Child Labour and Unfavourable Working Conditions of Children in Ginger Production, organised by CRUDAN in collaboration with the Fair Labour Association in Kaduna.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of CRUDAN, Joseph Gyandi, said the success of the initiative was largely driven by the acceptance and ownership demonstrated by beneficiary communities despite initial reservations about the programme.
He explained that some families initially misunderstood the objective of the intervention, fearing that it was intended to stop them from transferring farming knowledge and traditions to younger generations.
“People thought we wanted to deprive them of practices inherited from their forefathers, but when they understood that the focus was on protecting children from hazardous work, they embraced the initiative wholeheartedly,” he added.
Gyandi noted that the project also contributed to rebuilding confidence in ginger farming through the introduction of healthier and improved ginger seedlings.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager of the Fair Labour Association, Jean Appia, said awareness of child labour issues among respondents rose significantly during the implementation period, increasing from about two per cent at the commencement of the project to approximately 87 per cent at its conclusion.
“At the beginning of the project, only about two per cent of respondents were aware of what constitutes child labour, but by the end of the project, awareness had risen to around 87 per cent,” Mr Appia said.
He added that the initiative strengthened the capacity of ginger farmers in the adoption of good agricultural practices while also equipping companies with knowledge of human rights due diligence requirements.
According to Appia, sustainability strategies were embedded in the project from the outset through the active involvement of companies, community members and other stakeholders in implementation activities.
The Project Coordinator for CRUDAN, Michael Agon, disclosed that official records showed notable improvements in school retention rates and labour monitoring mechanisms within participating communities.
He revealed that the proportion of farmers with knowledge of child labour issues increased from six per cent at the baseline assessment in 2023 to 87 per cent at the endline evaluation in 2026.
Agon further stated that the number of farm workers below the age of 14 had been reduced to zero, while school enrolment among identified children rose from 38 per cent to 70 per cent during the project period.
He also noted that access to financial services through Village Savings and Loan Associations improved significantly, rising from 10 per cent at baseline to 51 per cent by the end of the intervention.
An agricultural extension officer responsible for the Southern Kaduna Zone, David Jonathan, described the project as highly impactful and beneficial to farming communities.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Shade of Women Ltd., Deborah Apochi, said the programme helped parents understand the importance of keeping children in school and limiting their involvement to age-appropriate responsibilities.
A female farmer from Fai community, Ladi Musa, commended the organisations behind the initiative for its successful implementation. She, however, urged the government to strengthen efforts to address insecurity and tackle the outbreak of ginger diseases affecting rural farming communities.
