GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT
The study sought to assess COVID-19 pandemic: the resultant effect on child labour in the urban areas of Akwa Ibom State. The research design used for this study was Expost-Facto. The research area for this study was urban areas of Akwa Ibom State. The population of this study comprised all social scientists and journalists. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 respondents as the sample size. The main instrument used in this study was an interview schedule titled “COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE RESULTANT EFFECT ON CHILD LABOUR QUESTIONNAIRE” (CPRECLQ). Cronbach Alpha technique was used to determine the level of reliability of the instrument. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.94 and this was high enough to justify the use of the instrument. The exercise took about six days. The researcher subjected the data generated for this study to appropriate statistical techniques such as descriptive analysis and simple regression. The test for significance was done at 0.05 alpha levels. The study revealed that governments have a responsibility not only to act urgently to protect children during the pandemic, but to consider how their decisions now can best uphold children’s rights long after the pandemic ends. It was concluded that there is significant economic effect of COVID-19 on child labour. One of the recommendations made was that the government should ensure the provision of direct and indirect benefits, such as: essential food security, livelihood and nutrition inputs and services, and cash transfer programs to support vulnerable population groups affected by the pandemic, in order to avoid subjection of children into child labour.
KEYWORDS: Covid-19 Pandemic, Resultant Effect, Child Labour, Remedies