SAN FRANCISCO, September 11, (THEWILL) – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday adopted a draft policy on Child Labour to tackle the menace of child labour involving over six million children in the country.
The council, at its weekly meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, also approved the sum of N2.4 billion for the establishment of Command Control Communication and Intelligence Centre for sea ports at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The centre is expected to be completed within a year and two months.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, who along with the Ministers of Information and Transport, Mr Labaran Maku, and Senator Idris Umar, said the draft policy was presented to Council by his Ministry to address the prevalence child labour which undermines national development and provides a reservoir of children for easy recruitment into violent act.
Wogu said the policy was adopted after a wide consultation with. different tiers of governments, labour union, employers’ associations, civil society and faith based groups.
“The National Policy on Child Labour will provide the needed coordinated and comprehensive framework for multi-sectoral action against the worst forms of child labour in Nigeria,’’ he said
FEC also approved the ratification of the Constitution and Cooperation Agreement establishing the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).
Maku explained that WASCAL, which works in partnership with local experts and institutions in Africa, is a German Government initiative for the pursuit of research on climate change and sustainable land management.
Under the initiative the Federal Universities of Technology, Akure and Minna were selected as competent centres to run doctorate and master programme respectively under the initiative.
“Because Nigeria stands to benefit scientifically and socio-economically, in the WASCAL programme, Council approves that Nigeria ratifies the cooperation Agreement and the Constitution establishing WASCAL.
“The Council directed that other necessary processes be initiated by the Attorney-Gneraal of the Federation and Minister of Justice towards the ratification of this Treaty and its domestication,’’ Maku said.
Minister of Transport, Sen Idris Umar, disclosed that Council approved the establishment of Command Control Communication and Intelligence Centre for Sea Ports at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) at the cost of N2,397 billion with a completion period of 14 months.
The minister said the project would help in providing a secure environment for ports operations within the Nigerian territorial waters and in curtailing threat of terrorist activity in the ports.
He noted that the project will also create a total of 145 job opportunities, including 33 professionals and 77 non- professionals during its execution and 35 more job opportunities as the project progressed.
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