Proceedings of 9th International Business and Social Science Research Conference
6 - 8 January, 2014, Novotel World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE, ISBN: 978-1-922069-41-2
Child Labor: Sources, Imperatives and Implications for Social and
Economic Development of Sub-Saharan African Countries
Anthony A. Akamobi
Child labor remains an infamous concept especially among Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.
Scholars have attempted to explain this from several theoretical perspectives, the bottom-line of which
emphasize that under-aged children often play very delicate and sometimes hazardous roles within this
sub-region. Consequently, this paper sets out to achieve 5 objectives: to identify the remote causes of
child labor among SSA countries; to explain the imperatives of child labor in SSA countries; to explain the
implications of child labor for SSA; to explore the role of external shocks on child labor among SSA
countries and to recommend policy options based on the discourse. The methodology is strictly
theoretical: works of various scholars, international organizations and non-governmental agencies (NGOs)
were combined with a sound knowledge of the problem. The findings portray the fact that although on
average, there is a glaring evidence of child labor within the sub-region, but this is traceable to economic
problems, poor leaderships, cultural practices and more recently, external shocks. Among others, it is
recommended that countries within the sub-region should endeavor to imbibe globally accepted standards
in relation to the rights of a child.
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Anthony A. Akamobi, PhD, Department of Economics, Anambra State University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State,
Nigeria.