COMBATING CHILD LABOUR AND TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM GHANA AND SOUTH AFRICA

This article undertakes a comparative analysis of the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks for combating child labour and trafficking in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. Despite Nigeria's enactment of progressive legislation including the Child's Rights Act 2003 and the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015, enforcement remains severely hampered by constitutional fragmentation, non-justiciable socio-economic rights, weak institutional capacity, and cultural resistance. Ghana's Children's Act 1998 provides a consolidated legislative model with uniform application nationwide, while South Africa's Section 28 of the 1996 Constitution elevates child protection to a constitutional right with direct justiciability. Through doctrinal analysis, the article identifies key lessons for Nigeria: constitutional amendment to make child welfare rights justiciable; removal of locus standi barriers as in South Africa's Child Justice Act; mandatory professional reporting mechanisms; establishment of Child Labour Free Zones as adopted in Ghana; and social welfare grants to address poverty-driven exploitation. The article concludes that Nigeria must adopt a holistic approach combining criminal prosecution with constitutional reform, legislative harmonization, and social protection.