Governorship Hopeful Plans Skills Centres, Scholarships and Job Creation to Tackle Child Labour
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Odii, has pledged to tackle child labour, street hawking and the movement of children into domestic work if elected governor in 2027.
Odii made the promise during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he identified youth empowerment, education and skills development as key priorities of his proposed administration.
He attributed the movement of children into domestic work and street hawking partly to poverty and unemployment, saying his administration would create opportunities for families to keep their children in school.
The PDP candidate said skills-acquisition centres would be established across the state to provide young people with practical training in areas including carpentry, POP installation, tailoring, animal husbandry and fishery.
He said the programme would cover all 13 local government areas, with each centre designed to accommodate about 3,000 people, potentially providing training opportunities for about 39,000 Ebonyi residents.
Odii also promised to prioritise education through scholarships and improved learning environments, arguing that children should remain in school rather than engage in economic activities at an early age.
He said his administration would also invest in agriculture, healthcare and job creation to reduce household poverty and create more economic opportunities within communities.
According to Odii, Ebonyi’s agricultural and mineral resources could be better developed to create jobs and increase household incomes.
“We must create opportunities at home,” he said, adding that he would “end child hawking, house help culture in Ebonyi State” if elected governor.