Odii Vows to End Child Hawking, Househelp Culture In Ebonyi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to tackle child hawking, child labour and the practice of sending children away from their communities as domestic helpers if elected governor in 2027.

Odii made the pledge during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he identified poverty, unemployment and limited economic opportunities as major factors driving families to send children into domestic work and street hawking. He said his administration would establish skills-acquisition centres across the 13 local government areas of the state to equip youths with practical skills capable of leading to employment and self-employment. According to him, the centres would offer training in areas including carpentry, POP installation, tailoring, animal husbandry, fishery and other vocational trades. Odii said each local government would have a facility capable of accommodating about 3,000 trainees, potentially providing skills training for about 39,000 Ebonyians. He also promised to prioritise education through scholarships and improved learning environments, stressing that children should remain in school rather than being pushed into economic activities at an early age. The PDP candidate said his administration would also invest in agriculture, healthcare, rural infrastructure and job creation to address the economic pressures contributing to child labour. “We must create opportunities at home,” Odii said, arguing that the development of Ebonyi’s agricultural and mineral resources, alongside mechanised farming and private-sector investment, could create jobs and improve household incomes. He maintained that ending child labour required more than prohibition, insisting that government must address the poverty and unemployment that make children vulnerable to exploitation. Odii said his proposals formed part of his broader agenda for poverty reduction, human-capital development, employment generation and economic diversification ahead of the 2027 governorship election.