Beijing Law Review, 2016, 7, 69-82 Published Online March 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/blr http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/blr.2016.71008 How to cite this paper: Nwazuoke, A. N., & Igwe, C. A. (2016). Worst Forms of Child Labour in Nigeria: An Appraisal of In- ternational and Local Legal Regimes. Beijing Law Review, 7, 69-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/blr.2016.71008 Worst Forms of Child Labour in Nigeria: An Appraisal of International and Local Legal Regimes Anthony N. Nwazuoke, Chinedu A. Igwe Faculty of Law, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria Received 13 January 2016; accepted 22 March 2016; published 25 March 2016 Copyright © 2016 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract Child labour is a global issue of international and local concern. It had been estimated that child labour accounted for 22% of the workforce in Asia, 32% in Africa, 17% in Latin America, and 1% in United States, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations 1 . In respect of Nigeria, it had been ob- served that over 15 million children aged 5 - 14 years were engaged in child labour. This work examined the meaning, causes and consequences of child labour with particular emphasis on Ni- geria. It undertook a comprehensive study of international and local legal instruments against child labour. In the final analysis, the authors of this work contended that the eradication of po- verty and the provision of free and compulsory primary and secondary education would contri- bute drastically to the reduction of child labour. Keywords Worst, Forms, Child, Nigeria, International 1. Introduction The impact of child labour on a child varies from work to work. International legal Instruments draw a distinction between child labour simpliciter and the more aggravated forms of child labour otherwise categorized as “The Worst Forms of Child Labour” 2 . Before 2003, various enactments in Nigeria provided different age limits for the term “child”. Under the 1 Child Labour Laws in the United States available at http://en.wikipedia.org/viki/chid-labour-laves-in-the-United-States p. 2. Accessed on 23 rd October, 2014. 2 ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 182 of 1999, article 3 and Minimum Age Convention, 1973, NO 138.