At just 10 years old, Ladidi Mudi (not her real name) begins her day at 5:00 a.m., not to prepare for school but to sweep, mop and wash dishes in the home of a stranger she calls “mummy” in Unguwan Rimi, GRA, Kaduna.
Ladidi, who was brought from Jigawa by an agent, has not seen her mother in months. “I don’t plan to stay here for long. I want to go back home. I am tired of the city,” she said.
She is one of 24.7 million Nigerian children trapped in child labour, according to the 2022 Child Labour and Forced Labour Survey, which shows that 39.2 per cent of children aged 5–17 are in child labour and 29.9 per cent are in hazardous work.
The problem is worse in rural areas, where 45 per cent of children work compared to 30 per cent in urban centres. In the North-west alone, 6.4 million children are engaged in labour, with over half doing hazardous tasks. Many are also out of school, with Jigawa ranked among the highest in numbers of out-of-school children.
Ladidi’s mother sells kuli-kuli (groundnut cakes), while her father farms. Too poor to support her, they handed her to an agent who placed her as a maid in Kaduna. Before this job, she briefly worked in another home but begged to return to Jigawa because of the workload. Instead, she was reassigned.
Her co-worker, 15-year-old Raliya, also from Jigawa, lost her father and was sent to the city by her uncle. Their employer, a career woman, admitted she prefers younger maids. “They are easier to groom and less likely to cause problems. Older girls often sneak out and mingle with men. I don’t have that time,” she said.
Although their employer provides food and clothes, neither girl attends school. Both dream of learning to read and write.
Trafficking Hub
According to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kaduna is a major hub for trafficking, acting as a source, transit and destination. State Commander Labaran Ado-Tanimu said children are often brought from Jigawa and Katsina to work as maids, labourers or, in worse cases, for sexual exploitation.
“An employer tells an agent the type of maid they want. The agent then contacts someone in the village to source a girl. The child is transported like goods, sometimes handed to commercial drivers who deliver them to the employer,” Ado-Tanimu explained.
Poverty and ignorance fuel the system. Parents sometimes give away children, hoping for income or believing the city will provide a better life.
Undercover Findings
An undercover investigation revealed how easily children are traded. Through a contact named Rahma, agents offered underaged girls for placement, charging transport and agent fees. Girls were brought from Kano and Jigawa, with salaries supposedly saved by employers until they return home.
One girl, about 15 years old, was offered for hire after a transport fee of ₦7,000 and agent fee of ₦5,000.
The Laws
Nigeria has several laws against trafficking. The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (2015) bans all forms of human trafficking and prescribes at least five years’ imprisonment and fines from ₦1 million to ₦5 million.
The Child Rights Act (CRA) of 2003 also criminalises hiring children for domestic work, begging or hawking. However, enforcement depends on states adopting the Act. While most states in the North-west have done so, Kano has yet to domesticate it.
Kaduna has strengthened its framework with the Child Welfare and Protection Law (2018) and the Penal Code (Amendment) Law 2020, which carries punishments of seven to 14 years’ imprisonment for trafficking. In rape cases, penalties include castration or even death.
Despite these laws, Kaduna still records rising cases. In 2025 alone, 21 trafficked children were reunited with their families, while four remain in shelters, according to the State Commissioner for Human Services, Hajiya Rabi Salisu.
“All rescued victims receive psychosocial support, while perpetrators are arrested and charged to court. Parents must understand we will not take this lightly. Education is free and compulsory for every child in the state,” she said.
Civil Society Efforts
Non-governmental organisations continue to play a role. Hafsat Muhammad-Baba, coordinator of the Global Initiative for Women and Children (GIWAC), said poverty and insecurity push parents to release children, believing they will fare better in cities.
“What we find is that the children are overworked and underpaid, if paid at all. Sometimes their wages are collected by agents, leaving families with nothing,” she explained.
She stressed that while NGOs help with rescue and referrals, the government must provide shelters and enforce laws.
Sarah Peter, a senior counsel at the Ministry of Justice, added that community-driven solutions are essential. “We need religious leaders, parents, teachers and the media to work together. There must be stronger sensitisation campaigns, better funding for NAPTIP and accountability for parents who knowingly give away their children.”
Stolen Childhoods
Behind the numbers are children like Ladidi and Raliya, whose dreams of going to school are replaced by endless housework.
For Ladidi, the greatest wish is to return home and see her mother. For Raliya, it is to read and write, even though she believes her wages are being kept by her employer.
Their stories echo the cycle of poverty and exploitation across the North-west, where children are still treated as commodities.
Until governments, communities and families unite to enforce protections and provide alternatives, thousands of Nigerian children will remain trapped in houses far from home, their childhoods stolen by labour and trafficking.
This report was facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellowship, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
