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Despite the official ban on child labour in Lagos, many children still toil at construction sites and engage in other perilous jobs in the shadows of the city’s dangerous streets just to support their families. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE, in this report, explores their daily fight for survival—heartbreaking stories of sacrifice and resilience amid harsh realities Every day, a disturbing reality plays out in Lagos, a city where children aged between five and 17 are legally barred from working at construction sites. As the morning sun streaks across the sky, the city’s skyline becomes dotted with the small, stooped figures of young labourers who navigate the hazards of construction sites every day, despite the protective legislation in place. They are also found in shadowy streets and bustling markets. Often no older than twelve, these children are not working out of choice but out of sheer necessity. For them, the daily grind is not an act of rebellion bu...

Health experts have stepped up efforts to address challenges and barriers that hinder adolescents’ access to reproductive health services. Through the Step Up to Access campaign, the experts seek to ensure that legislators, policymakers and the community are able to reach a consensus on what could be the most progressive laws as far as age of consent to reproductive healthcare is concerned. The Step Up to Access is a campaign across five countries of Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Youth Advocates Executive Director Tatenda Songore has said the five countries are the point of focus based on the fact that they have a high burden of teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and are facing the triple threat of high HIV infections, Gender Based Violence and teenage pregnancies. “We are bringing together these countries to address one of the biggest issues that has been on the table whereby adolesc...

Live – Last updated at 8:24 PM Demonstrators at a pro- Palestine The rally organized by the activist group Youth Demand has charged the government with "attempting to silence us." The "Shut It Down For Palestine" demonstration started at 6:30 PM on Malet Street in Bloomsbury. Youth Demand claims it is the initial installment in a sequence of protests It will take place all through April, employing strategies like "swarming" and roadblocks to effectively "shutdown" the capital. Arthur, aged 24, who became part of the Youth movement a year ago and currently serves as a spokesperson, voiced worries about how the government views the demonstrations. Talking to our correspondent Josh Butler at the location, Arthur recounted the moment when law enforcement stormed into a Quaker gathering that took place the previous week and "collected" everyone present. “It’s astonishing, it’s incredible, yet it’s also somewhat ...