Determinants of Participation of Children in Income-Earning Activities among Households in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the determinants of children participation in income-earning activities among households in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 120 children for data collection. Four areas of the local government area were selected to carry out the study with 30 respondents coming from each area. The data were analyzed using descriptive and regression analysis. The results shows that, boys participated more in income-earning activities accounting for 57.7 percent as against 42.3 percent of the girls who participated. It was revealed, that 65 percent of the children participated in income- earning activities while 35 percent did not. The study also revealed that a large number of children who participated in paid employment came from households where the parents were married. It was shown that participation of children in paid employment depended on the income of the parents. This is as a result of the fact that parents who let their children participate in paid employment earned less than parents who did not. Regression analysis was carried out using probit functional form. This was to find out the determinants of child participation in income-earning activities. The result showed that, the age of the child, educational level of the child, household size, employment status of the father and the occupational status of mother exert a significant effect on the participation of the child in income-earning activities.