BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU/PERCY IDUBOR/OGORAMAKA AMOS/CHIKA KWAMBA/OYE CHIJIOKE/JUDITH OBIANUA/AMAYINDI YAKUBU
A little boy, no older than six, weaves through the congested traffic, his tiny frame barely visible among the cars. His feet are bare, his clothes tattered, and his outstretched hands tremble as he knocks on a car window. A passenger glances at him briefly before looking away, avoiding his pleading stare. Just a few meters away, a girl, not much older, clings to her baby sibling, murmuring desperate pleas to passing strangers.
Scenes like these have become painfully common in Port Harcourt. Where playgrounds and classrooms should be, the streets have instead become home to countless children forced into begging for survival. But behind every outstretched hand is a deeper story—one of poverty, broken homes, or even organized exploitation.
According to a 2024 UNICEF report, millions of children worldwide are engaged in street begging, often exposed to violence, exploitation, and abuse. In major cities, syndicates control these children’s movements, forcing them to meet daily quotas and punishing those who fall short.
For many of these children, begging is not a choice but a necessity. Mrs Uchenna Maxwell, a teacher and mother of three, shares her concern in a chat with The Pointer: “Many of these children come from families trapped in extreme poverty, where even a single meal is uncertain. Some are sent out by desperate parents who see begging as their only means of survival. As a mother, my heart bleeds when I see these children on the streets.”
However, not all child beggars are simply victims of poverty. Mr Georgewill Godsent, a counsellor, sheds light on a more sinister reality: “Many of these ‘street children’ are victims of organized begging syndicates. They are trafficked, forced into the streets, and subjected to maltreatment. They often look malnourished and are deprived of love and protection. I wish the government would provide shelters to take these children off the streets because they are vulnerable to all kinds of harm.”
Meanwhile, a security expert Mr Amadi Godson, however, warns of another angle: “Criminals exploit these children for unlawful activities. Some act as informants, pickpockets, or even accomplices in crimes. While we cannot dismiss that many are victims of circumstance, I believe the government should remove them from the streets and implement scholarship programs, food, and shelter to rehabilitate them.”
Asked what he would change in a child beggar’s life if he had the power to, Mr Nwachukwu Leonard believes the problem requires a multi-pronged approach: “There is no single solution. Governments need to enforce stricter child protection laws, provide free quality education, and invest in economic policies that empower poor families. We need to address the root causes, not just the symptoms.”
The situation in Port Harcourt is not much different from Asaba, the capital of Delta State, known for its vibrant markets, growing economy, and rich cultural heritage. Yet, beneath the city’s progress lies a disturbing reality—children, some as young as five, roam the streets, hands outstretched, begging for survival.
At major junctions like Summit Road, Nnebisi Road, and Ogbeogonogo Market, these children dart between moving cars, knock on windows, and trail behind pedestrians, pleading for help. Instead of being in school or at play, they are trapped in a cycle of poverty, desperation, and, in many cases, exploitation.
However, the Delta State Government has made deliberate efforts to salvage the situation, making it less troubling as compared to other cities across Nigeria. In late 2021, the government announced a crackdown on street begging and child hawking during school hours, emphasizing the enforcement of the Child Rights Law to protect children’s welfare.
By February 2022, this initiative led to the arrest of six women and the rescue of 22 children in Warri, who were allegedly exploited for alms under the guise of blindness. The government collaborated with organizations like the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to address child labour and trafficking, aiming to reunite the rescued children with their families and prosecute the offenders.
Speaking with a cabbie, Mr Daniel Okafor, who witnesses this daily, believes poverty is the leading cause of child begging. According to him, many families, struggling to afford necessities, push their children into the streets as a means of survival. “I see these kids every day at traffic stops,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking. Some look like they haven’t eaten in days. But I wonder—are they there by choice, or is someone forcing them?”
Similarly, Mrs. Justina Uche, noted that the issue goes beyond poverty. She points to the existence of organized begging syndicates that exploit children for financial gain. “We’ve had cases where children turn in all the money they collect to an adult waiting nearby,” she explained. “It’s a system, and it thrives because there’s little enforcement against it.”
According to a civil servant Mr. Emeka Nwosu, the increasing number of child beggars across many cities in Nigeria is not just a result of economic hardship but also systemic failures at both familial and societal levels. “Some of these children come from broken or unstable homes. Others are abandoned by parents who can’t afford to care for them, while some are trafficked or coerced into begging by individuals who profit from their suffering,” he said.
He further noted that many of these children know no other life than begging. “Some of them are as young as five or six, with no one to turn to for help. They go home at night, only to wake up the next morning and return to the streets.”
Mr Nwosu reiterated that while the situation is dire, the government, local authorities, civil society organizations, and citizens can work together. Strengthening child protection laws, enforcing anti-begging regulations, and creating rehabilitation programs would help break the cycle. “The solution lies in collective action,” he said. “If we all play our part, we can create a future where no child has to beg to survive.”
Another concerned Nigerian, Mrs. Isioma Chika, a lecturer in the tertiary institutions in Delta State spoke to our reporter, ‘’There are two categories of child beggars. First, those who beg because they do not have other options, maybe no parents or have run away from their guardians. Then, the second category is those that their parents or guardians encourage to beg as a means of livelihood for the family.
‘’These two categories require different approaches. The first is easier as the focus is on the child. From interviewing the child, if I have the power I will know what the child needs or lacking in his life, once that is fixed with a consistent means of survival in place then it will be settled as their mind is still young to be captured. But the second category is more difficult because the child is a means to an end for a selfish adult. The focus here is on how to rescue the child from his exploiters but be ready for a fight, because the adult exploiting the child won’t give in easily.
A student of Mass Communication, Harmony Chidozie also waded into the issue, suggesting good education for the children to be liberated from the shackles of ignorance and poverty, adding that parents should consider giving birth to children that they can conveniently cater for rather than littering the environment with children who are left to fend for themselves at very tender ages.
A cleric, Douglas Okoh, became emotional. ‘’It is heartbreaking to see out-of-school children, who should be in class, wandering, begging pedestrians, motorists, and business owners while dressed in tattered, degraded clothes. One might wonder, do these children not have parents?
‘’My heart aches for these young souls. The sight of countless school-age children, who should be under the care of responsible parents, scattered across the streets to fend for themselves speaks volumes about the extent of poverty, government neglect, and the lack of childcare support in our society.
‘’I strongly recommend the government to address this issue urgently and implement long-term solutions. These children are often at risk of road accidents, abuse, and exposure to sickness and disease, and their situation demands immediate attention.
Corroborating other respondents, Sunday Kenenchi who spoke with our correspondent, added, ‘’If I had the power, I would equip them with practical skills. With the right ability to solve problems, they would not be compelled to beg. My first step would be to help them become better individuals by providing opportunities to learn valuable skills.
Just like Kenechi, Balogun Oluwatosin believes that empowering a child with practical skills not only opens the door to further education but also enhances their future opportunities. ‘’I believe that if we invest in both the child and their family, we can change their lives for the better’’.
Meanwhile, the Pioneer Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Edo State, Chief of Staff to the National President, Aisha Ibrahim, and Communication Officer, NAWOJ, National, Comrade Grace Umeh, has these to say.
“My first reaction when I see a child begging on the street is an impulsive thought about their family background and issues around parental home-bringing or the total absence of parents, guardians or caregivers. Then I also intuitively think about society as a whole, where we got it all wrong as a people.
“I think of our insensitivity as humans, for example: in the absence of biological parents there should be guardians or caregivers; there should be an institutional framework deliberately put in place to take in children before they become classified or labelled as, “street children, and street urchins, destitute” or whatever other stigmas we may wish to classify them under.
“If I had the power to change one thing in a child beggar’s life, it is clearly to take them off the street, rehabilitate them, give them the same meaningful life and nurture I have given to my children and extended dependents such as good education and relevant skills to be able to compete in a dynamic and competitive environment.
“Above all, show them that whatever happened to them could happen to anyone else and that they should not look at society with a warped and bitter mindset. I will teach them to love the same way I had shown them love.
She suggested that a deliberate socio-economic policy thrust that is geared to ensuring that the well-being of the people is strategically upheld in governance, provision of basic amenities and an economic policy overhaul to make life more liveable for all would be useful in ensuring that no child takes to the streets to eke a living.
Isaac Olamikan is a journalist and this was what he told The Pointer in Edo State. ‘’I recognize that child begging is rarely an isolated issue. It’s often a symptom of deeper societal problems such as poverty, inequality, and lack of access to education and social services. It’s heartbreaking to think of children being denied the opportunity to experience a normal, safe, and nurturing childhood. Instead, they are forced to endure hardship and vulnerability.
‘’If I had the power to change one thing? I would provide immediate access to safe shelter and nutritious food. This addresses the most urgent needs and provides a foundation for further intervention.
Speaking with our correspondent on the solution, Nwaefulu Blossom rued, ‘’Education is the right of every child. In our society today, only the rich can afford education. There are some people out there who are not able to buy books, even if education is free. It will be so wonderful living in a world where no child has to beg. To make it a reality, we all have to work together, both the government and citizens.
Accordingly, another respondent, John Agbariri, ‘’Let us take it biblically. Jesus talked about the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man neglected his duty by not feeding the poor. This illustration tells us that the poor must be there and it is the duty of the rich to look after them. I don’t think we can do without them (poor). Jesus says to us ‘whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers you do unto me’. They (the poor) should be treated with love, care and kindness.
Meanwhile, an associate professor and Consultant Physician in Community Medicine and Public Health and also the Founder of Global Professionals Multidisciplinary Practices Journal, Dr Henry Akpojubaro, who spoke to The Pointer recently categorized street begging into four groups. ‘’These are: children of the street; children on the street; children who are part of a street family; and those in institutionalized care.
‘’Proffering Solutions to the nuisance of begging by street children is achievable if contextualized through the prism of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); ending poverty in all its forms. Governments at all levels can partner with Non-Governmental organizations to address this nuisance. Conditional cash transfers and other social security programmes can ameliorate this public health nuisance.
‘’The government must end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Food insecurity led most people to have lost their children to the streets. No thanks to the recent national hunger protests by Nigerians. The government must ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. Again, the global partnership is necessary to eradicate the nuisance of begging by street children’’ he said.
Child begging is a reflection of deeper systemic failures that require urgent attention. Without immediate and sustained intervention, Nigeria risks breeding a generation of disenfranchised youth with little hope for the future. The government, civil society, and citizens all have a role to play in eradicating this social menace, ensuring that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to grow up in dignity, free from the clutches of the streets. The question remains: How long will we continue to look away?
