Cross section of participants at the Project Close-Out Brainstorming Workshop on the Eradication of Child Labour and Unfavourable Working Conditions of Children in Ginger Production, organised by the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) in partnership with the Fair Labour Association held in Kaduna

By Moses Kolo

Stakeholders in Kaduna State have expressed optimism that sustained collaboration among communities, government agencies and private sector actors can consolidate gains recorded under the child labour eradication project in the ginger value chain.

The stakeholders spoke on Tuesday at the Project Close-Out Brainstorming Workshop on the Eradication of Child Labour and Unfavourable Working Conditions of Children in Ginger Production, organised by the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) in partnership with the Fair Labor Association held in Kaduna.

Mr Joseph Gyandi, CRUDAN Executive Director in an opening remark, said the project’s most significant achievement was the attitudinal change recorded in beneficiary communities.

“The most significant achievement has been the change in attitude among community members.

"Initially, there was resistance, but through continuous engagement they came to understand that the intervention was designed to protect their children from hazardous activities and improve their opportunities, particularly in education,” Gyandi said.

Gyandi added that the introduction of healthier ginger seed varieties had restored hope among farmers whose livelihoods were affected by ginger disease outbreaks.

“The piloting of healthier ginger seedlings has rekindled hope that ginger farming can again become a reliable source of livelihood for many families,” he said.

Programme Manager of the Fair Labor Association, Dr Jean Appia, said awareness of child labour among respondents increased dramatically during the project.

“At the beginning of the project, only about two per cent of respondents were aware of what constitutes child labour, but by the end of the project, awareness had risen to around 87 per cent,” Appia said.

“The project also strengthened the capacity of ginger producers in good agricultural practices and trained companies on human rights due diligence, making their code of conduct more visible and accessible to community members,” he added.

CRUDAN Project Coordinator, Mr Michael Agon, said the project recorded significant progress in school retention and labour monitoring.

“The project recorded significant progress in child labour awareness, school retention and economic empowerment among ginger-producing households,” Agon said.

“Farmers informed about child labour increased from six per cent at baseline in 2023 to 87 per cent at endline in 2026, while evidence of workers below the age of 14 on farms dropped to zero,” he said.

“We will continue to work with community structures and extension services to ensure that the gains recorded under the project are sustained,” Agon added.

Also, Mr David Jonathan, an agricultural extension officer covering the Southern Kaduna Zone, said the interventions had improved working conditions and awareness in the targeted communities.

“The programme has been very effective. The baseline and endline surveys show clear improvement in the selected communities, and the training has contributed positively to ginger production and awareness on child labour issues,” Jonathan said.

“Extension agents will continue monitoring the communities and encourage trained farmers to transfer the knowledge gained to other farmers,” he added.

On her part, Mrs. Deborah Apochi, Chief Executive Officer of Shield of Women Limited, said the project helped communities understand the importance of education and age-appropriate tasks for children.

“Many parents initially thought we were discouraging them from passing farming knowledge to their children, but we explained that children can still participate in farming activities while remaining in school and being protected from hazardous tasks,” Apochi said.

“We will continue promoting child labour-free ginger production through school-based awareness programmes, scholarships for vulnerable children and sustained community engagement,” she added.

Mrs Ladi Musa, female farmer from Fai, one of the beneficiary communities commended the organisers for the successful implementation of the project.

“The project has helped many of us understand better farming practices, and we have seen improvements in our ginger production,” she said.

She, however, identified persistent ginger disease infection and insecurity as major challenges facing rural farmers.

“Government should intensify efforts to protect lives and property in farming communities so that farmers can cultivate their lands safely and increase production,” she appealed.

Oficial project data showed school enrolment of identified children increased from 38 per cent at baseline to 70 per cent at endline, while children taken out of school for farm work dropped from 25 per cent to four per cent during the implementation period.

The meeting had in attendance representatives of; Government officials, Agriculture experts, Civil Society Organisations, Teachers, Security agents and Traditional heads.