Unhappy Celebrations

According to a joint 2024 survey conducted by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Nigerian Ministry of Labour and Employment with support from the Netherlands government, Nigeria has one of the highest rates of child labour in the world with over 24 million Nigerian children embroiled in child labour, despite being minors. Furthermore, about 14.3 million of those kids currently have hazardous jobs. Despite the risks and unethical nature of employing children in labor forces, Nigerians continue to unfortunately view this exploitative act as an acceptable societal norm.

We know that children eagerly anticipate celebrations like birthdays, religious holidays and special days. So, GREEN PASTURE KIDDIES, a Child Advocacy Organization that caters for the needs of underprivileged children in Lagos, Nigeria created a series of posters that highlight the stark contrast between joyful children’s celebrations and the harsh reality of child labor, emphasizing that International Day against child labour shouldn’t exist.

We picked "International Day Against Child Labour", to bring attention to this societal misnomer. Our message was clear and simple - this day shouldn’t exist and CHILDREN SHOULDN’T BE WORKING. They should be allowed to experience childhood without any form of hard work that robs them of their basic rights, stops their proper growth and harms their well-being.