Dressed in a faded peach kaftan and blue trousers torn open in the middle, with his black underwear showing, Haris walked sleepily to his mother in the morning.
His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he gently shook her awake.
‘Mom, wake up and prepare Dumame for me. I’m going, he says stubbornly, trying to pull her from deep sleep.’
Haris mother recount
‘That’s how he wakes me up every morning,’ Malama Hauwa said softly, explaining why she allowed her last born to start learning a skill at such a young age.
Sometimes, according to her, his older sisters prepare breakfast before leaving for work early in the morning.
Other times, Haris leaves home without eating anything. Later in the day, he either comes back home to eat or food is taken to him at work.
Haruna Muhammad (Haris)* is just 10 years old and currently in Primary 2 where he lives with his parents in the Dala community of Borno state. He is the youngest of Hauwa Muhammad’s nine children.
‘Among all my children, Haris is the only one I introduced to a skill at an early age,’ Hauwa said.
Not far from their home, Haris spends his days at a welding workshop.
Every morning, as early as 9am he heads there quietly, sometimes with little or no breakfast, carrying the weight of responsibility long before childhood has fully left him.
Growing Up Too Soon: Inside the Struggles of Child Labourers
Dressed in a faded peach kaftan and blue trousers torn open in the middle, with his black underwear showing, Haris walked sleepily to his mother in the morning.
His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he gently shook her awake.
‘Mom, wake up and prepare Dumame for me. I’m going, he says stubbornly, trying to pull her from deep sleep.’
Haris mother recount
‘That’s how he wakes me up every morning,’ Malama Hauwa said softly, explaining why she allowed her last born to start learning a skill at such a young age.
Sometimes, according to her, his older sisters prepare breakfast before leaving for work early in the morning.
Other times, Haris leaves home without eating anything. Later in the day, he either comes back home to eat or food is taken to him at work.
Haruna Muhammad (Haris)* is just 10 years old and currently in Primary 2 where he lives with his parents in the Dala community of Borno state. He is the youngest of Hauwa Muhammad’s nine children.
‘Among all my children, Haris is the only one I introduced to a skill at an early age,’ Hauwa said.
Not far from their home, Haris spends his days at a welding workshop.
Every morning, as early as 9am he heads there quietly, sometimes with little or no breakfast, carrying the weight of responsibility long before childhood has fully left him.
Growing Up Too Soon: Inside the Struggles of Child Labourers
Dressed in a faded peach kaftan and blue trousers torn open in the middle, with his black underwear showing, Haris walked sleepily to his mother in the morning.
His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he gently shook her awake.
‘Mom, wake up and prepare Dumame for me. I’m going, he says stubbornly, trying to pull her from deep sleep.’
Haris mother recount
‘That’s how he wakes me up every morning,’ Malama Hauwa said softly, explaining why she allowed her last born to start learning a skill at such a young age.
Sometimes, according to her, his older sisters prepare breakfast before leaving for work early in the morning.
Other times, Haris leaves home without eating anything. Later in the day, he either comes back home to eat or food is taken to him at work.
Haruna Muhammad (Haris)* is just 10 years old and currently in Primary 2 where he lives with his parents in the Dala community of Borno state. He is the youngest of Hauwa Muhammad’s nine children.
‘Among all my children, Haris is the only one I introduced to a skill at an early age,’ Hauwa said.
Not far from their home, Haris spends his days at a welding workshop.
Every morning, as early as 9am he heads there quietly, sometimes with little or no breakfast, carrying the weight of responsibility long before childhood has fully left him.
Normally, he returns home by 6pm, which is the usual closing time, but on some days, he does not get back until 9pm, spending almost the whole day outside for work.
Fear of Theft Pushes Hauwa to Introduce Haris to Skills Early
Thinking of sending her child to learn a skill at an early age was the last thing Hauwa ever imagined for any of her children.
Although she did not go far in her own education, she was determined to give all her children both Western and Islamic education as much as she could afford.
‘Among all my children, none started learning a skill until after secondary school,’ she said.
She explained that when the time comes, she usually sends her boys to learn trades like tailoring and mechanics, while her girls help with small businesses at home.
But Hauwa said things have changed because of the country’s economic hardship.
According to her, she could no longer watch her child stay at home doing nothing.
‘I made the decision because my second to the last child started stealing both at home and outside,’ she said worriedly.
Malam Muhammad, her husband, said they later realized that Ishaq, their eighth child, had started stealing at a young age without them noticing.
‘It was during the cashless policy period that we discovered how many things Ishaq had sold,’ he said.
Inside their home was a small store where they kept old iron pots, generator parts, and two bundles of zinc sheets among others. Unknown to them, Ishaq had gradually sold almost everything.
‘What he has sold out is nearly a million now’ he added they only realized the missing items during a sanitation of the store.
‘We tried everything we could to stop him, but it did not work. We even took him to the vigilante group,’ Muhammad added.
Hauwa said her husband blamed her for their child’s behaviour, because he had always fought for them to engage in skills at an early age. while others believed hunger pushed him into stealing. But she believes it was mainly because of bad friends.
‘He joined metal scavenging work without my knowledge because he saw how his friends spent money carelessly,’ she said.
Also speaking, Hauwa expressed concern about the metal scavenging business, popularly called Ajakuta in Hausa. According to her, many young boys involved in the work end up searching for scrap iron in uncompleted buildings and refuse dumps, exposing themselves to theft and health risks.
One day, Haris returned home with his hand wrapped in bandages after getting injured at work. He was stitched at a nearby chemist shop.
‘I spent money treating him until the wound healed, yet he still went back to work,’ Hauwa said.
Despite the risks, Haris said he has learned many things from welding work, even though the heavy iron he handles is often beyond his strength.
With the little money he earned, Haris bought a few things for himself during the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr celebration, something that made his mother proud.
However, Hauwa admitted that the work has slightly affected his education, adding that Haris has always been a slow learner from childhood.
Child Labour and the Rights of Children
Like many children in Borno State, 10-year-old Haris spends his days learning welding work instead of fully enjoying his childhood.
For his mother, Hauwa, sending him to learn a skill was a way to keep him away from negative influences after one of her older sons reportedly began stealing.
But Haris’ story also reflects the difficult reality many families face as poverty, displacement, and hardship continue to push children into labour at an early age.
Hazardous jobs such as heavy labour, street hawking under dangerous conditions, construction work, mining, and unsafe domestic work are prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
Yet many children across Borno State continue to engage in risky and exploitative work because of economic hardship and insecurity.
According to Nigeria’s Child Rights Act (2003), a child is any person below the age of 18 years. The Act protects children from exploitative and harmful labour that can affect their physical, mental, emotional, and educational development.
It also guarantees every child the right to education, dignity, protection, survival, and proper care.
While the law encourages children to gain knowledge and learn useful skills, it states that such activities must not interfere with their education, safety, health, or general development.
The African Child’s policy forum research states that, children below the age of 12 should not engage in economic work. Light work may be allowed between the ages of 12 and 14 if it is safe and does not affect schooling.
Adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 may participate in vocational training or skill acquisition under safe and supervised conditions.
Despite these protections, many children are still involved in street hawking, domestic labour, begging, and other forms of work that expose them to exploitation, abuse, violence, and school dropout.
These conditions affect not only their present well-being but also their future opportunities.
The major human rights gap in this issue is the difference between the protections provided by law and the reality many children face daily.
Although the Child Rights Act and the Child Protection Law guarantee children safety, education, and protection from exploitation, many children still lack access to these rights. Poverty, weak law enforcement, insecurity, and limited awareness continue to push children into unsafe labour instead of classrooms.
Many working children are denied their right to education, exposed to violence and abuse, and forced into responsibilities meant for adults.
In some cases, child labour is treated as a normal survival strategy rather than a violation of children’s rights. This failure to fully implement child protection laws leaves many vulnerable children without proper support or protection.
District Head Warns on Child Labour Amid Haris’ Experience
The District Head of Maisandari, Alhaji Abba Bukar, expressed concern over the increasing cases of child labour in communities, especially among vulnerable and displaced families.
He justifies that many children are involved in labour and other activities that negatively affect their education, safety, and future.
According to him, poverty and lack of awareness are the main reasons for pushing children into labour at an early age.
He called on parents, community leaders, and organizations to work together to protect children and ensure they have access to education and a safe environment.
Speaking during the engagement, the Alhaji Abba said, ‘Children are not meant to carry heavy responsibilities at a young age.
‘They deserve care, education, and guidance so they can become responsible adults in the future.’
He added that traditional leaders are continuously sensitizing parents on the dangers of child labour and encouraging families to prioritize education as well as age-appropriate skills training.
He also noted that community leaders support advocacy efforts by raising awareness during gatherings and urging residents to report cases where children are exposed to harmful or exploitative work.
Call to Action
The Child Protection Law, alongside the Child Rights Act and international frameworks was introduced to protect children from abuse, neglect, trafficking, and exploitative labour.
However, poor enforcement, insecurity, and lack of awareness continue to place many children at risk.
Addressing child labour requires stronger enforcement and implementation of child protection laws, improved access to education, support for vulnerable families, and safe opportunities for children to learn skills at the appropriate age.
Protecting children’s rights is not only a legal responsibility but also an important step toward building a safer and better future for society.
All names were changed to protect the identity of the Family
This story was sponsored by humAngle’s 2025 SCOJA Fellowship
Fear of Theft Pushes Hauwa to Introduce Haris to Skills Early
Thinking of sending her child to learn a skill at an early age was the last thing Hauwa ever imagined for any of her children.
Although she did not go far in her own education, she was determined to give all her children both Western and Islamic education as much as she could afford.
‘Among all my children, none started learning a skill until after secondary school,’ she said.
She explained that when the time comes, she usually sends her boys to learn trades like tailoring and mechanics, while her girls help with small businesses at home.
But Hauwa said things have changed because of the country’s economic hardship.
According to her, she could no longer watch her child stay at home doing nothing.
‘I made the decision because my second to the last child started stealing both at home and outside,’ she said worriedly.
Malam Muhammad, her husband, said they later realized that Ishaq, their eighth child, had started stealing at a young age without them noticing.
‘It was during the cashless policy period that we discovered how many things Ishaq had sold,’ he said.
Inside their home was a small store where they kept old iron pots, generator parts, and two bundles of zinc sheets among others. Unknown to them, Ishaq had gradually sold almost everything.
‘What he has sold out is nearly a million now’ he added they only realized the missing items during a sanitation of the store.
‘We tried everything we could to stop him, but it did not work. We even took him to the vigilante group,’ Muhammad added.
Hauwa said her husband blamed her for their child’s behaviour, because he had always fought for them to engage in skills at an early age. while others believed hunger pushed him into stealing. But she believes it was mainly because of bad friends.
‘He joined metal scavenging work without my knowledge because he saw how his friends spent money carelessly,’ she said.
Also speaking, Hauwa expressed concern about the metal scavenging business, popularly called Ajakuta in Hausa. According to her, many young boys involved in the work end up searching for scrap iron in uncompleted buildings and refuse dumps, exposing themselves to theft and health risks.
One day, Haris returned home with his hand wrapped in bandages after getting injured at work. He was stitched at a nearby chemist shop.
‘I spent money treating him until the wound healed, yet he still went back to work,’ Hauwa said.
Despite the risks, Haris said he has learned many things from welding work, even though the heavy iron he handles is often beyond his strength.
With the little money he earned, Haris bought a few things for himself during the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr celebration, something that made his mother proud.
However, Hauwa admitted that the work has slightly affected his education, adding that Haris has always been a slow learner from childhood.
Child Labour and the Rights of Children
Like many children in Borno State, 10-year-old Haris spends his days learning welding work instead of fully enjoying his childhood.
For his mother, Hauwa, sending him to learn a skill was a way to keep him away from negative influences after one of her older sons reportedly began stealing.
But Haris’ story also reflects the difficult reality many families face as poverty, displacement, and hardship continue to push children into labour at an early age.
Hazardous jobs such as heavy labour, street hawking under dangerous conditions, construction work, mining, and unsafe domestic work are prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
Yet many children across Borno State continue to engage in risky and exploitative work because of economic hardship and insecurity.
According to Nigeria’s Child Rights Act (2003), a child is any person below the age of 18 years. The Act protects children from exploitative and harmful labour that can affect their physical, mental, emotional, and educational development.
It also guarantees every child the right to education, dignity, protection, survival, and proper care.
While the law encourages children to gain knowledge and learn useful skills, it states that such activities must not interfere with their education, safety, health, or general development.
The African Child’s policy forum research states that, children below the age of 12 should not engage in economic work. Light work may be allowed between the ages of 12 and 14 if it is safe and does not affect schooling.
Adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 may participate in vocational training or skill acquisition under safe and supervised conditions.
Despite these protections, many children are still involved in street hawking, domestic labour, begging, and other forms of work that expose them to exploitation, abuse, violence, and school dropout.
These conditions affect not only their present well-being but also their future opportunities.
The major human rights gap in this issue is the difference between the protections provided by law and the reality many children face daily.
Although the Child Rights Act and the Child Protection Law guarantee children safety, education, and protection from exploitation, many children still lack access to these rights. Poverty, weak law enforcement, insecurity, and limited awareness continue to push children into unsafe labour instead of classrooms.
Many working children are denied their right to education, exposed to violence and abuse, and forced into responsibilities meant for adults.
In some cases, child labour is treated as a normal survival strategy rather than a violation of children’s rights. This failure to fully implement child protection laws leaves many vulnerable children without proper support or protection.
District Head Warns on Child Labour Amid Haris’ Experience
The District Head of Maisandari, Alhaji Abba Bukar, expressed concern over the increasing cases of child labour in communities, especially among vulnerable and displaced families.
He justifies that many children are involved in labour and other activities that negatively affect their education, safety, and future.
According to him, poverty and lack of awareness are the main reasons for pushing children into labour at an early age.
He called on parents, community leaders, and organizations to work together to protect children and ensure they have access to education and a safe environment.
Speaking during the engagement, the Alhaji Abba said, ‘Children are not meant to carry heavy responsibilities at a young age.
‘They deserve care, education, and guidance so they can become responsible adults in the future.’
He added that traditional leaders are continuously sensitizing parents on the dangers of child labour and encouraging families to prioritize education as well as age-appropriate skills training.
He also noted that community leaders support advocacy efforts by raising awareness during gatherings and urging residents to report cases where children are exposed to harmful or exploitative work.
Call to Action
The Child Protection Law, alongside the Child Rights Act and international frameworks was introduced to protect children from abuse, neglect, trafficking, and exploitative labour.
However, poor enforcement, insecurity, and lack of awareness continue to place many children at risk.
Addressing child labour requires stronger enforcement and implementation of child protection laws, improved access to education, support for vulnerable families, and safe opportunities for children to learn skills at the appropriate age.
Protecting children’s rights is not only a legal responsibility but also an important step toward building a safer and better future for society.
All names were changed to protect the identity of the Family
This story was sponsored by humAngle’s 2025 SCOJA Fellowship
Fear of Theft Pushes Hauwa to Introduce Haris to Skills Early
Thinking of sending her child to learn a skill at an early age was the last thing Hauwa ever imagined for any of her children.
Although she did not go far in her own education, she was determined to give all her children both Western and Islamic education as much as she could afford.
‘Among all my children, none started learning a skill until after secondary school,’ she said.
She explained that when the time comes, she usually sends her boys to learn trades like tailoring and mechanics, while her girls help with small businesses at home.
But Hauwa said things have changed because of the country’s economic hardship.
According to her, she could no longer watch her child stay at home doing nothing.
‘I made the decision because my second to the last child started stealing both at home and outside,’ she said worriedly.
Malam Muhammad, her husband, said they later realized that Ishaq, their eighth child, had started stealing at a young age without them noticing.
‘It was during the cashless policy period that we discovered how many things Ishaq had sold,’ he said.
Inside their home was a small store where they kept old iron pots, generator parts, and two bundles of zinc sheets among others. Unknown to them, Ishaq had gradually sold almost everything.
‘What he has sold out is nearly a million now’ he added they only realized the missing items during a sanitation of the store.
‘We tried everything we could to stop him, but it did not work. We even took him to the vigilante group,’ Muhammad added.
Hauwa said her husband blamed her for their child’s behaviour, because he had always fought for them to engage in skills at an early age. while others believed hunger pushed him into stealing. But she believes it was mainly because of bad friends.
‘He joined metal scavenging work without my knowledge because he saw how his friends spent money carelessly,’ she said.
Also speaking, Hauwa expressed concern about the metal scavenging business, popularly called Ajakuta in Hausa. According to her, many young boys involved in the work end up searching for scrap iron in uncompleted buildings and refuse dumps, exposing themselves to theft and health risks.
One day, Haris returned home with his hand wrapped in bandages after getting injured at work. He was stitched at a nearby chemist shop.
‘I spent money treating him until the wound healed, yet he still went back to work,’ Hauwa said.
Despite the risks, Haris said he has learned many things from welding work, even though the heavy iron he handles is often beyond his strength.
With the little money he earned, Haris bought a few things for himself during the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr celebration, something that made his mother proud.
However, Hauwa admitted that the work has slightly affected his education, adding that Haris has always been a slow learner from childhood.
Child Labour and the Rights of Children
Like many children in Borno State, 10-year-old Haris spends his days learning welding work instead of fully enjoying his childhood.
For his mother, Hauwa, sending him to learn a skill was a way to keep him away from negative influences after one of her older sons reportedly began stealing.
But Haris’ story also reflects the difficult reality many families face as poverty, displacement, and hardship continue to push children into labour at an early age.
Hazardous jobs such as heavy labour, street hawking under dangerous conditions, construction work, mining, and unsafe domestic work are prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
Yet many children across Borno State continue to engage in risky and exploitative work because of economic hardship and insecurity.
According to Nigeria’s Child Rights Act (2003), a child is any person below the age of 18 years. The Act protects children from exploitative and harmful labour that can affect their physical, mental, emotional, and educational development.
It also guarantees every child the right to education, dignity, protection, survival, and proper care.
While the law encourages children to gain knowledge and learn useful skills, it states that such activities must not interfere with their education, safety, health, or general development.
The African Child’s policy forum research states that, children below the age of 12 should not engage in economic work. Light work may be allowed between the ages of 12 and 14 if it is safe and does not affect schooling.
Adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 may participate in vocational training or skill acquisition under safe and supervised conditions.
Despite these protections, many children are still involved in street hawking, domestic labour, begging, and other forms of work that expose them to exploitation, abuse, violence, and school dropout.
These conditions affect not only their present well-being but also their future opportunities.
The major human rights gap in this issue is the difference between the protections provided by law and the reality many children face daily.
Although the Child Rights Act and the Child Protection Law guarantee children safety, education, and protection from exploitation, many children still lack access to these rights. Poverty, weak law enforcement, insecurity, and limited awareness continue to push children into unsafe labour instead of classrooms.
Many working children are denied their right to education, exposed to violence and abuse, and forced into responsibilities meant for adults.
In some cases, child labour is treated as a normal survival strategy rather than a violation of children’s rights. This failure to fully implement child protection laws leaves many vulnerable children without proper support or protection.
District Head Warns on Child Labour Amid Haris’ Experience
The District Head of Maisandari, Alhaji Abba Bukar, expressed concern over the increasing cases of child labour in communities, especially among vulnerable and displaced families.
He justifies that many children are involved in labour and other activities that negatively affect their education, safety, and future.
According to him, poverty and lack of awareness are the main reasons for pushing children into labour at an early age.
He called on parents, community leaders, and organizations to work together to protect children and ensure they have access to education and a safe environment.
Speaking during the engagement, the Alhaji Abba said, ‘Children are not meant to carry heavy responsibilities at a young age.
‘They deserve care, education, and guidance so they can become responsible adults in the future.’
He added that traditional leaders are continuously sensitizing parents on the dangers of child labour and encouraging families to prioritize education as well as age-appropriate skills training.
He also noted that community leaders support advocacy efforts by raising awareness during gatherings and urging residents to report cases where children are exposed to harmful or exploitative work.
Call to Action
The Child Protection Law, alongside the Child Rights Act and international frameworks was introduced to protect children from abuse, neglect, trafficking, and exploitative labour.
However, poor enforcement, insecurity, and lack of awareness continue to place many children at risk.
Addressing child labour requires stronger enforcement and implementation of child protection laws, improved access to education, support for vulnerable families, and safe opportunities for children to learn skills at the appropriate age.
Protecting children’s rights is not only a legal responsibility but also an important step toward building a safer and better future for society.
All names were changed to protect the identity of the Family
This story was sponsored by humAngle’s 2025 SCOJA Fellowship
