AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NEXUS BETWEEN CHILD LABOUR AND CHILD TRAFFICKING IN AFRICA

Child labour and child trafficking represent two intersecting violations of children’s rights across Africa, yet scholarly and policy discourse often treats them as distinct phenomena. This paper assessed the conceptual and empirical nexus between child labour and child trafficking on the continent, arguing that while not all child labour constitutes trafficking, trafficking frequently functions as an enabler or intensifier of hazardous labour. Drawing on evidence from interdisciplinary sources, and adopting the use of the Push-Pull Theory, this study examined how poverty, weak legal enforcement, gender inequality, and armed conflict create overlapping vulnerabilities. It found that child trafficking often begins as labour migration, with children being moved internally or cross-border into domestic service, mining, agriculture, and commercial sex work. Conversely, many children engaged in exploitative labour exhibit indicators of coercion, deception, or debt bondage, blurring legal definitions. The paper critiqued fragmented national responses that target trafficking separately from broader child labour systems, leading to protection gaps. It concluded that effective intervention requires integrated frameworks addressing root causes such as livelihood insecurity and education access, alongside cross-border cooperation and community-based monitoring. Without a holistic approach, anti-trafficking efforts may inadvertently push trafficked children into hidden labour arrangements, while labour reforms may miss trafficking dynamics.