Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Street children and child labour is a phenomenon which has gradually turned to an epidemic many societies. The United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC) or (UNCRC) treaty caters for the needs and rights of children. Many countries are signatory to this charter including Nigeria. In Nigeria, NGOs are raising concerns about this ugly trend in the society. Presently there are over ten million school pupils in Nigeria according to UNICEF that are out of school, these are children within the ages of 5-14 even though primary education is free and compulsory in Nigeria. These out of school children are the population that makes up the street children and often ended up as child labourers. Poverty and illiteracy are some of the factors responsible for the ugly phenomenon, lack of parental care, peer pressure, government and community neglect, and culture are responsible. It is therefore on these premises that the authors consider the subject of street children and child labour. It is the conviction of the authors that, if the twin problem of poverty and illiteracy are tackled, there will be less or no children available on the streets to be engaged in child labour. This paper demonstrates how the street children phenomenon is embedded in society.