Causes Of Child Labour In Crop Production
[A CASE STUDY OF BRICK KILN INDUSTRIES IN OYO DISTRICT]

1.2 Statement of the problem

  The history of brick production in Nigeria is as old as Nigeria’scivilizations. The production and use of bricks for construction purposes came into vague along with southern and northern neighbors India and China. This building style gained popularity especially in the southern plains of the terai and Chimanda valley, both places that stone and boulders were not readily available. Bricks have been a part of Nigeria’s art and architecture right from the beginning to show social prestige and concern for preserving the heritage of Nigeria. Ancient and historic temples, places and monasteries incorporating brick are testimony to a long history and rich part (CONCERN, 2005:6).

 Child Labor is a worldwide phenomenon in the world. Most of the developing countries are suffered form the problem of child Labor than developed countries. Nigeria is a developing country, therefore it is unable to escape from the problem of child Labor. In Nigeria, child Labor has become widespread phenomenon. Many children are being pushed into Labor market as a part of family survival strategy. Children are found to be working as an integral part of the family farming workforce in the agriculture economy of Nigeria.

  Poverty is the main factor of child Labor because if a family is very poor and is unable to afford for their food, cloth and shelter for everyone, then all the number and of family have to work for living. But many children also work because their stepmother or father does not accept them easily and they can't tolerate their domestic violence, so they have to run awayfrom their home. And it is the main factor of a child to be laborers’. These.  Children have to work formed their childhood for living. Lack of other opportunities like education, food and other facilities are also reasons for them to work their early age. In most of the case, the schools are far from their reach, are unavailable, discrimination behavior of teachers and other children, in adequate or just too expensive (UNDP, 1993).

 Hazardous form of child Labor, detrimental to a child's development in time has a negative effect on the overall development of a country. Today children are the people who will build nation in the future. When children are denied education and other rights and opportunities, they cannot grow as able, skilled and educated citizens of a country. In this way, child Labor is equally harmful to the child as well as to a nation and its development process. Many sectors involve child Labor that, in itself, is exploitative and in direct violation of the rights of the child.

Child Labor is rampant in Nigeria. It is estimated that over 2.6 million children are working as wage laborers’ in different sectors of our economy. Some sectors are more hazardous and risky, where children are even more vulnerable in terms of health, physical growth and safety. However, the use of child Labor continues to exist even in sectors considered most hazardous. An estimated 34 percent of the total brick even Labor forces are child workers. Thousands of children work as wage or bonded laborers’ in the brick kilns of Nigeria, some for years and others newcomers. There are a number of documented reasons for children working in the brick kilns as laborers’, their conditions often unsatisfactory in terms of wage, health and safety, working and living conditions and more (CONCERN, 2005:12).

Brick kiln industry is considered as the most hazardous work place especially for children. It is also the most Labor intensive industries which absorb the great amount of child Labor in Nigeria. Children engaged in these industries have to face various hazards like injuries due to falls and falling objects, exposure to harmful dust and noise, extreme weather condition and carrying heavy weight and load.