EFFECT OF CULTURE ON CHILD LABOUR ACTIVITIES IN COCOA PRODUCING COMMUNITIES IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The occurrence of child labour in the cocoa value chain poses a risk to the children’s physical, emotional, psychological health and most likely influences the cocoa value chain. This study therefore determined the effects of culture on child labour related activities in the cocoa producing communities in Ondo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study ascertained the socio-economic characteristics of respondents in selected communities, identified the culture of the selected communities with respect to their norms and values, the farming activities where children are involved in the cocoa farming communities, determined factors influencing acculturation in the selected communities, the influence of community social control measure on child labour activities in the selected communities, and the perceived effects of child labour on Community Development. Three local government known for cocoa production were purposively selected and 240 respondents were interviewed using structural questionnaire while focus group discussion and key informant technique were used in data collection. Data were analysed using frequency count, percentages, mean statistics, Charts and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Chi-Square. The results of the study revealed that majority of the cocoa producers were male constituting 72.0% of the cocoa farmers, 80.8% were married. The mean age of the respondents is 54 years, most of the cocoa farmers were Christians while 87.5% of the respondents have a form of formal education.55% of the respondents had lived for over 30 years in the community with mean annual income of the respondents at N55,660. Among variables measured, only sex was significant while marital status, religion, age, level of education, occupation and income did not influence level of awareness of child labour. There was significant relationship between factors influencing acculturation and their culture with respect to norms and values while there was also a significant relationship between lack of social control measure and effect of child labour activities on children’s education, psychology and mental development (R=0.878). In conclusion, the study revealed that majority of children used for cocoa farming were male and these children were subjected to harsh farming activities since they are being used as labourers to work on the farm due to low income generated from their cocoa production and absence of community social control measure on child labour activities. The study also observed that some of the children skip school during planting and harvesting seasons and they are not being allowed to play with their friends and this can affect they psychological well-being and their mental development. The study recommended that concerted efforts should be made by Government, developmental partners and NGO’S to promote advocacy against child labour to enhance children school attendance, while Community leaders/traditional leaders are to be encouraged by the government, developmental partners and C.S.O to evolve social control measures against child labour in their communities, . The study also recommended that concerted effort should be made by donor agencies, government and multi-stakeholders in cocoa sector to help farmers with livelihood diversification so that their income could be enhanced in order to pay labourers to work on their farms.