UI Partners ILO and LWR to Educate Teachers and Community Leaders on Child Labor
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The University of Ibadan has taken a significant step in combating child labor by integrating the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) SCREAM (Supporting Children's Rights through Education, the Arts, and the Media) module into its General Education Studies (GES) program. This initiative was announced during a six-day workshop held from February 26 to March 2, organized by the ILO in collaboration with the University of Ibadan and supported by the Lutheran World Relief (LWR). The workshop aimed to train parents, teachers, and community leaders from Idanre and Ifedore Local Government Areas, particularly in the cocoa and artisanal mining sectors.
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Ms. Vanessa Phala, the country director of ILO, highlighted that this training marked the third phase of the certificated SCREAM Module. Through the partnership between ILO and UI, the SCREAM Module is now a formal part of the university's GES curriculum. Phala emphasized the importance of this collaboration in addressing the persistent issue of child labor, particularly in sectors like Artisanal Gold Mining (ASGM) and cocoa production, which affects Nigerian and African societies at large.
Despite global efforts, child labor remains a pressing issue, with Africa bearing a significant burden. Phala urged participants to fully engage with the training, emphasizing their role as change agents in eliminating child labor and promoting decent work.
Professor Kayode Adebowale, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, expressed the institution's commitment to supporting initiatives like the Child Labor Education and Resilience (CLEAR) project by LWR. He praised the efforts of ILO and LWR in spearheading anti-child labor initiatives in Nigeria.
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Olawale Awoyemi, the deputy chief of Party of LWR, discussed the CLEAR project's goal of reducing child labor among cocoa farmers in targeted local government areas. He stressed the importance of raising awareness about the negative impacts of child labor among parents, teachers, and community leaders.
Adedoyin Aguoru, Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETel) at the University of Ibadan, highlighted the alignment of the SCREAM training with the objectives of the CLEAR project, focusing on sensitization, capacity building, and entrepreneurship in schools and workplaces.
Professor Ronke Baiyeroju, the UI's ACCEL team lead and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), commended the university's efforts in developing and adapting the SCREAM module to suit the Nigerian context. She emphasized the importance of collective action in eliminating child labor from supply chains in Africa.
The integration of the SCREAM module into the university's curriculum and the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders signify a significant step forward in the fight against child labor in Nigeria.
