Underlying Factors Influencing Child Labour and Child Trafficking in Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

Using primary data collected from 379 respondents through a mixed-methods survey, this research investigates the causes of child labor and child trafficking in the Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. The analysis through frequency counts, percentages, correlations and binary logistic regression (Basu & Van 1998; Fan 2011; Zapata et al. 2011) using a survey revealed the respondents were primarily low-income middle-aged females, with 43.27% earning less than N5,000 a month. Findings reported that 74.41% of children worked in family-operated business or farms, 74.67% of the families reported having child laborers, and 56.20% had been personally involved with child trafficking. The main drivers of poverty (38.79%) and unemployment (21.90%) were identified, which affected both male and female children (41.42%). The study highlights the need for further research and targeted policies designed to relieve economic vulnerability and protect children in the area.