CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Street hawking is one form of child labour, which is on the increase in
many cities in Nigeria. As a result of poor economic situations of many
families, children are sent to the streets for long hours to sell fruits,
assorted drinks, breads, groundnuts, pure water, snacks accessories,
foodstufs, and the likes. Street hawking is a type of child abuse because it
endangers the health of children, interferes with their education, and
deprives them of their right to normal and happy childhood. It has been
observed (antye and !aruna, "##$% that street hawking is highly
detrimental to children&s physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, and
social development.
'ne of the fundamental problems facing developing countries today is the
incidences of child labour to support the family. (hildren within the age
bracket of eight years to )fteen years are seen engaging in one form of
work or the other as a means of providing for themselves and also
supporting the maintenance of their family. *he +nited Nations
International (hildren ,ducation -und (+NI(,,-% has estimated that there
are .## to "## million child labourers across both industriali/ed and
developing countries, with India having the largest child labor force in the
world with about .0 million child labourers according to the !uman 1ights
2atch ("##$%.
.
*he situation of most Nigerian (hildren remains critical due to the factors
of socio3economic, cultural, traditional, and developmental circumstances.
In Nigeria, most especially in the urban areas, children are seen involved
in form of one child labour or the other, such as carpentry, refuse
collection, hawking and so on.
!istorically, hawking appears to be a part of the Nigerian culture. Street
hawking is a form of child labour, which is on an alarming and very
worrisome increase in many cities in Nigeria and understandably. So this ill
increase of child involvement in street hawking in Nigeria can be
attributed to several factors. *he rapid population growth, high rates of
unemployment, in4ation and deplorable working conditions have
contributed to the incidence of street trading and child labour as children
attempt, or in most cases are forced to support their families ((harlse 5
(harlse "##$6 eth, .778%.
(hildren are compelled by circumstances beyond their control to
contribute to family upkeep6 these children are sent to the streets for long
hours to sell all sorts of stufs as fruits, confectionaries, beverages,
breads, etc. 'nibokun 9"###: contended that children are forced into
street hawking by the need to contribute to family income, other factors
identi)ed as sustaining street hawking in the northern part of Nigeria by
antye and !aruna ("##$% includes hawking as means by which young
girls attract suitors, and as a means of raising money for buying items in
preparation of marriages for these young hawkers.
"
(hildren involvement in street hawking is a type of child abuse6 going by
the +nited Nations (onvention on the rights of the child (+N(1(% allowing
children to work (hawk% on the street is a negation of the rights of the
children. -urthermore it endangers the health and safety of the child6 it
has been observed (antye and !aruna "##$% that street hawking is
highly detrimental to children&s development. Also, it interferes with the
child&s education and deprives him;her normal and happy childhood. In
the words of ,bigho 9"##8:, <the traditional farming and trading in
Nigerian society,= impacted by economic and political misery, cultural
con4ict, unemployment, illiteracy and urban drift is leading to e>ploited,
uneducated, abused and malnourished children.
*o complement the ?uote, some of the problems were identi)ed by
Aderinto and 'kunola (.77@% to be associated with street hawking which
include the high potential for accidents, truancy e>posure to ha/ards of
weather and fatigue. 'ther dangers that child hawkers maybe e>posed to
includes the risk of being raped , kidnapped, and being recruited by drug
barons to hawk drugs, early pregnancy, and contracting deadly infections
that are se>ually transmitted (unapo "##"%. 'bidigbo (.777% established
in his study that out of the ."# teachers used for his study @".0A report
that street hawking leads to child abuse and neglect.
!owever, in the light of the foregoing, interest is taken by me in an
argument that early deprivation or interference of children&s right to a
8
normal and happy childhood could lead to behaviour problems. Studies by
,wurigwe 5 Akpusugh, (.7@B% have shown that street hawking by children
has a serious efect on their social development.
Covernment and non3governmental agencies have shown considerable
interest and concern on the problems of child labour in Nigeria and have
suggested practical policies and measures to minimi/e this problem.
Doung persons of between B and .$years of age have been involved in
one form of street trading or the other in several parts of the ancient city
of Eenin for a long time. ,conomic hardships brought about by the failed
Structural AdFustment Grogramme (SAG% introduced in .7@B by the Hilitary
Covernment of Nigeria drastically increased the scale and tempo of street
trading by minors across the whole country, including Eenin
(ity(Desufu,"##0%.
Garents who could no longer aford to maintain their children in school
withdrew them from the education system. In an efort to help families
make ends meet, some of these children were engaged as domestic
servants, car washers, bus conductors and street traders (Desufu, "##0%.
*his study seeks to address the social factors afecting street hawkers
such as social factors afecting pre3disposition to street hawking,
implication of street hawking on children and their socio3economic factors
status.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
$
Ceneral standards of morality and social norms that govern acceptable
patterns of behaviour are on the decline in many Nigerian societies, most
especially the urban areas which have large number of young or children
street hawkers. *hese children start hawking at tender ages when they
are still in their formative years6 they are still emotionally, psychologically
and socially fragile.
2hen children, through street hawking are e>posed to the corrupting
in4uences of many debased persons without commiserate or even more,
positive in4uence from the family circle (institution%, they may develop
patterns of speech and behaviour that may deviate from socially
acceptable and desirable standards or norms.
HaFority of Nigerian parents believe that children are Cod3sent3helpers
both economically and for other purposes. It is this notion that led many
families into producing many children especially in the Nigerian agrarian
society. *his belief has become so accepted in the thinking that few or no
attempt has been made to ?uestion its validity (Iinolia and -ubara, .7@B%.
(hild labour depends on the normative attitude towards children in the
society and the culturally determined roles and functions of the
sociali/ation process. *his implies that the type of work children do in a
given society is determined by the institutional roles and functions of
children in the society (Naidu, .7@B%.
0
Nigeria being among the poorest economies in the world with the
accompanying efects of unemployment, poor infrastructural facilities, and
lack of human empowerment has seen most of her populace living in
abFect poverty. *herefore, because of the low socio3economic status of
most families in Nigeria and the high rate of poverty, most parents cannot
help but push their wards into the streets where they spend long hours, at
the mercy of environmental elements, selling pure waterJ (sachet water%,
fruits, confectioneries, beverages and so on6 so that the proceeds may
contribute to family upkeep.
*his situation is alarming because street hawking is a form of child labour
and abuse which is on the increase in our society. Street hawking is
considered a form of child abuse because it endangers the health
(physical, spiritual, psychological, and social% and safety of the child6
interferes with his;her education, and deprives him;her the right to normal
and happy childhood.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Cenerally, this study seeks to understand the relationship between Social
-actors and Street !awking among Doung (hildren in Eariga Kocal (ouncil
evelopment Area, while the speci)c obFectives are6
1. *o ascertain Social -actors afecting Doung Street !awkers in Eariga
Kocal (ouncil evelopment Area.
B
2. *o determine the relationship between Nature of Garental;Cuardian&s
'ccupation and Street !awking (hildren in Eariga Kocal (ouncil
evelopment Area.
3. *o determine the Socio3,conomic Status of Doung Street !awkers in
Eariga Kocal (ouncil evelopment Area.
4. *o determine the implication of Street !awking on Doung (hildren in
Eariga Kocal (ouncil evelopment Area.
1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
*he research ?uestions served as guideline to the study6
1. oes Social -actors afect Doung Street !awkers in Eariga Kocal
(ouncil evelopment AreaL
2. 2hat is the relationship between Nature of Garental;Cuardian&s
'ccupation and Street !awking (hildren in Eariga Kocal (ouncil
evelopment AreaL
3. oes Socio3,conomic Status afect Doung Street !awkers in Eariga
Kocal (ouncil evelopment AreaL
4. 2hat is the implication of Street !awking on Doung (hildren in
Eariga Kocal (ouncil evelopment AreaL
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
*his study seeks to investigate the efect of Social -actors on street
hawking children in Eariga Kocal Covernment Area. *he )ndings of the
study can aid or assist in the improvement of the e>isting conventional
M
right of the children and child right Act ("##8% for efective
implementation or intervention of the policy in Nigeria.
It can also be used to create a platform of knowledge for further study in
the areas of street hawker child abuse. Host importantly, are the )ndings
which will be useful for designing social welfare programs, social policies,
restoration, and rehabilitation interventions among street hawking
children. -urthermore, understanding the Nigerian children view of the
family and society will help immensely in designing basic childhood
interventions. (onclusively, )ndings from this study would be saliently
useful in providing Social 2ork and other related disciplines a base of
knowledge.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
*his study was to e>amine the Social -actors and street hawking among
Doung (hildren in Eariga Kocal (ouncil evelopment Area. *he survey will
be among selected Street !awking children in Eariga Kocal (ouncil
evelopment Area. *he targeted respondents are children who are
currently engaging in street hawking.
1.5 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
S!"#$ F#!%&'
*he term social factors refer to the facts and e>periences that in4uence or
control an individualN personality, attitudes and lifestyle. *hese factors
help an individual live well in harmony with others in the society. Social
factors are factors that afect or direct peoples lifestyles in a given society.
@
,>ample includeO religion, ethnicity, family, economic status and
education. *hese factors are present in a multi3cultural society. Social
factors are things in our society which afect or direct our lifestyle. Some
e>amples are religion, family, education, locality and economic status.
C("$)
(hild is a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal
age of maFority. *he study focuses on the group of children between the
ages of si> to seventeen.
C("$) A*+',
(hild abuse consists of any act of commission or omission that endangers
or impairs a child&s physical or emotional health and development. (hild
abuse includes any damage done to a child which cannot be reasonably
e>plained and which is often represented by an inFury or series of inFuries
appearing to be non3accidental in nature.
S%&,,% H#-."/0
Street hawking is a form of selling goods along the road from one place to
the other (+mar "##7%. Some children have a particular spot where they
stay to sell their wares. Some move from place to place along the street,
while others go from door to door in residential area (Crootaert and
Panbur .770O$%. (hild hawkers sell tray of goods on their head by moving
from one street to the other.
7
S%&,,% H#-.,&
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported6 the
term is roughly synonymous with peddler or costermonger. In most places
where the term is used, a hawker sells items or foods that are native to
the area.
S%&,,%
Street is a road in a city, town, or village, usually with houses along it
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