By Makubra Ibrahim Manang.
Across Nigeria, thousands of children wake each day not to prepare for school but to cook, clean, fetch water, care for other children and run errands in homes that are not their own. Commonly referred to as “house-helps,” these children remain largely invisible in national conversations on child labour, despite facing some of its most severe risks and long-term consequences.
Globally, child labour remains a major concern. Recent estimates by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) show that about 138 million children worldwide are engaged in child labour, many in hazardous conditions that endanger their health, safety and development. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the highest share of this burden, with Nigeria among the most affected countries. National figures suggest that more than 24 million Nigerian children are involved in one form of child labour or another, including agriculture, informal services and domestic work.
Child domestic labour is particularly difficult to confront because it is hidden behind closed doors. Unlike children hawking goods on the streets or working in open spaces, domestic workers are confined to private homes, where abuse, neglect and exploitation are easier to conceal and harder to regulate.
A Life of Work, Not Learning
Across many communities, children most often girls are sent away from their families with promises of education or improved living conditions. Instead, they are absorbed into full-time household labour.
where Many wake before dawn and work long hours without rest, handling responsibilities far beyond their age, from cooking and cleaning to washing clothes and caring for younger children. School attendance, where it exists at all, is often irregular, and for many children, education is completely out of reach.
While some households justify the practice as assistance or character-building, the reality is that many children in domestic work are denied their fundamental rights to education, protection and healthy development.
The Dangers We Overlook
One of the most immediate consequences of child domestic labour is disrupted education, which limits future opportunities and reinforces intergenerational poverty.
There is also a heightened risk of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Because the work takes place in private spaces, harmful practices can persist without scrutiny, and children often lack trusted adults to speak on their behalf.
Health risks are equally alarming. Long working hours, exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals, poor nutrition and inadequate rest can lead to injuries, chronic fatigue and long-term health complications.
Beyond physical harm, the psychological effectsfear, isolation and low self-esteem can persist well into adulthood. Even more troubling is the role child domestic labour can play as a gateway to trafficking and severe exploitation, particularly when children are moved far from their families and communities.
Why the Practice Persists
Poverty remains a major driver, as struggling families view domestic labour as a survival strategy. Cultural norms that normalise children’s domestic work, weak enforcement of child protection laws and limited awareness of children’s rights further allow the practice to continue unchecked. Inadequate access to quality education, including school costs, distance and poor infrastructure, also pushes families toward this option.
What Must Be Done
Ending child domestic labour requires coordinated action. Government agencies must strengthen enforcement of existing child protection laws and ensure that hidden forms of labour receive equal attention. Social protection programmes that support vulnerable families can reduce the economic pressures that push children into work.
Communities, religious institutions and schools must play stronger roles in identifying at-risk children and promoting education. Employers must recognise that hiring underage domestic workers is harmful and unacceptable.
The media and civil society organisations must continue to raise awareness and challenge the normalisation of child domestic labour.
A Call to Action
Every child deserves a childhood defined by learning, safety and dignity not labour hidden behind household walls. Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the silent suffering of children in domestic work. Protecting children is not the responsibility of families or government alone;
it is a collective duty. When society speaks up for its most vulnerable, it safeguards its own future.
