INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Child labour is a universal problem. It dates back to the period of industrial revolution (late 1700s to early 1800s). (Lockwood, 2016). During this period, a lot of families needed as many working hands as they could get, so children were not an exempted. However, Africa happens to have the largest number of child labourers. Meanwhile, in 2001 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) developed strategies to fight child labour for exploitative labour purposes in West and Central Africa. (Anukan, 2016).
Child labour according to Dyorough, (2014) is the employment of children under the age of 18 in any form of work that interferes with their education and has negative effects on them physically, mentally, socially and morally. In Africa, the first commitment to combat trafficking is exemplified in Africa charter on the right or welfare of the child. In 2002, the African Union (AU) reaffirmed its commitment to combat child abuse. (Dyorouhg, 2014). It identified the elimination of human and child trafficking as an operational priority.
