Girl Child labour in Nigeria

Girl child labour in Nigeria refers to the high incidence of girls ages 5–14 who are involved in economic activities outside of education and leisure. The prevalence of girl child labour in Nigeria is largely due to household wealth but other factors such as the educational accomplishment of parents, peer pressure and demand factors such as high demand for domestic maids and sex workers all contribute to the high incidence of girl child labour in the country. In addition, in many rural and Muslim communities in Northern Nigeria, children are sometimes asked to aid religiously secluded women or mothers in running errands. Many girls work as maids, shop helpers and street hawkers. The use of young girls in economic activities exposes them to dangers such as sexual assault, lack of parental care and exploitation. In addition, the work of girls is not recognized by law and any form of employee benefit is negligible.