GOVERNMENTAL INTERVENTION of CHILD STREET HAWKING IN GHANA AND NIGERIA

A COMPARATIVE STUDY

By

AFU FREMPONG
INTL 6000
Department of International Relations
Webster Leiden Campus, Webster University- USA
International Relations
March 3, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS
2

Abstract ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

Abbreviation Page ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

Introduction and Research Question -----------------------------------------------------------------5

Methodology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

Literature Review-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Data and Analysis of Data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Interpretation of Findings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------22

Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -25

Endnotes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27

Bibliography -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27

ABSTRACT
3

The world is fast growing at a microsecond pace, and societal issues will not stop appearing.

This paper aims to provide a qualitative understanding of the issue of child street hawking in

Ghana and Nigeria. The study is functional for the government of both countries. It provides

an analysis of the root cause of child street hawking and a comparison between the

government strategies of Ghana and Nigeria. Child street hawking continues to be a topic for

political discussions in developing countries. Scholarly attention has been drawn toward

poverty and unemployment in rural areas, and also the issue of north-south wealth divide in

Ghana and Nigeria has been a major factor behind rural-urban- migration.

Child street hawking keeps increasing every year, and the government of Ghana and Nigeria

used a different approach to equip parents with opportunities to capitalize themselves for

financial stability. There is enough evidence that shows that child street hawking has

received few governmental interventions in Ghana and Nigeria at large. A standard

recommendation was the use of education as a tool to give children a reason not to be on

the street. Nevertheless, the interventional strategies implemented in Ghana and Nigeria are

questionable. The study seeks to point out the limitations of the various methods and

recommend solutions to make them effective. The paper will provide literature that can be

used to generate future policies. This paper was found to be more helpful for girls and also

beneficial for the Nigerian government in particular since gender inequality still persists

across the nation. The importance of education cannot be overlooked since it is the main

way through which children can actualize their dream and capabilities. And also needed for

personal advancement in this modern world. If a society would develop, it must ensure that

children within them are mentally emotionally academically and financially sound. Child

streetwalking is noted to have economic, academical financial social implications for children
4

Abbreviation Page

MHP- Millennium Hope Project

NGO- Non- Governmental Organization

UNICEF- United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

AMA- Accra Metropolitan Assembly

MASLOC- Micro-finance and Small Loans Centre

ILO- International Labor Organization

PIG- Plan International Ghana

CRI- Child Rights International

MHP- Millennium Hope Project

Introduction and Research Question

Child street hawking has become a pressing issue in developing countries for decades now.

Other knowledge tries to distinguish between child work and child labor. Child work involves
5

the process where children are groomed for the future, whereas child labor is when children

are forced to work and used as an escape from poverty by their guardians (Kazeem, 2012).

Child street hawking is an example of child labor whereby children engage in economic

activities to earn a living on the streets (Kazeem, 2012). In sub-Saharan Africa, a higher

percentage of its population are children and are directly affected by the current and future

decisions of the government. In developing countries, street hawking constitutes a

significant number and holds a dominant part in the state's economy. The importance of

education cannot be overlooked since it is the main way through which children can

actualize their dream and capabilities. Also, there is a need for personal advancement in this

modern world. For a society to be develop, it must ensure that children within it are

mentally, emotionally, academically, and financially sound. Child streetwalking is noted to

have economic, academic, financial, and social implications for children.

The world bank records a yearly economic production of about 40 percent from the

informal economic sector in developing countries (Lopez-Carr, 2010). In this part of the

world, millions of children lack access to primary education. Most of them are found either

on the streets or in homes working for an employer. As part of these developing countries,

Ghana and Nigeria are no exception (F. O. Omokhodion, 2005). Many people in Ghana and

Nigeria patronize street shopping very much since things are sold at a relatively lower price

on the street and are very convenient to reach. There is a lack of skill development for

children who drop out of school, so they rather find themselves on the streets. There have

been many existing strategies put in place by the Ghanaian and Nigerian governments;

however, we still asked why children are still found on the streets. This led me to the

research question: To what extent were the government interventions to diminish child

street hawking successfully implemented in Ghana and Nigeria? This research will attempt to
6

find solutions to the problem. Street hawking can also be an integral part of the informal

sector of an economy. This study sought to determine the issue of child street hawking but

focuses on the extent to which the interventional strategies failed or succeeded in Ghana

and Nigeria.

Methodology

This research will employ a qualitative comparative phenomenon to understand the

appropriate approaches used in comparing child street hawking and the existing

governmental interventions between Ghana and Nigeria. The qualitative analysis will also

provide the researcher with an intense examination of the research focus. This research

would also compare street hawking among children in Ghana and Nigeria and why the

various government interventional programs succeeded or failed in performing their

function. Other researchers used interviews and questionnaires to gather information from

child street hawkers in Ghana and Nigeria. However, this research would use articles,

scholarly journals, and newspapers as a method of data collection. By examining current

newspapers and the works of other scholars, I would gain an in-depth knowledge of the

similarities and differences concerning the issue of child street hawking in both countries.

Child street hawking is a rising issue in Ghana and Nigeria. Due to this, the government has

implemented various strategies. However, the reason for the persistent increase in child

street hawking would be a very salient area to observe. I would also develop enough data on

the strategies put in place and the current developments by the Ghanaian and Nigerian

governments. There will be a sequential flow by accessing the circumstance that led to a

specific outcome. I would use articles from other theories that would help me deduce the
7

failure or success of the government interventions to diminish child street hawking in Ghana

and Nigeria. This would enable me to tackle unresearched issues in a detailed manner.

Time as a factor would not permit me to assess all existing data, so for the scope of this

research, I would examine articles published between 2000 and 2020. The fact that Ghana

and Nigeria are two interdependent neighboring countries with similar issues like poverty

yet different political strategies, I would examine articles that review the interventional

programs of the governments of Ghana and Nigeria, such as, 'Addressing child streetism in

the La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality: the role of stakeholders,' (AMEKUEDI, 2016) and

"PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF STREET HAWKING ON THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN ANYIGBA,

DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA," Eboh, A. (2018). I would use

other sources from Ghanaian newspapers like- Graphic online, 'Child labor: 3 million minors

locked up' (Fugu, 2021). A Nigerian newspaper- 'Delta to raid street beggars, child hawkers in

2022', (Ogunyemi, 2021). The qualitative comparative analysis will be used to gather the

required data for the study for this research. The research would be focused on the Greater

Accra region of Ghana, the smallest region yet, choked and has the highest number of street

children. The other focus would be Lagos the capital of Nigeria, and the most populated city

in Nigeria with a very high number of child street hawkers.

Literature review

In analyzing the government interventions in Nigeria, the author used both qualitative and

quantitative analysis. The informal economic sector covers a high potion of employment in

developing countries and is the primary source of employment. The increase of child street

hawking in recent years has been quite alarming, which has generated much public concern.

This chapter reviews the articles used to study child street hawking and the governmental
8

strategies related to it. One of the primary sources used is an article from a study conducted

by (Usman 2010). The article reviews how child street hawking is generated from poverty

and how it has become an ongoing issue that affects the economic underdevelopment in

rural areas. The article analyzed a surveyed interview by the author that was performed in

the northern part of Nigeria, which demonstrated how child street hawking had become

very religious and traditional. It also presents the expectations traditional leaders have

towards girls in the community. Child street hawking in this area was accepted as a financial

means for daily family survival, which battles with the idea of children completing primary

education. The article reviewed some efforts made by the government to instill primary

education among children and school dropouts and how the attitude of parents retarded the

policy. The article posits how the local government in northern Nigeria used a constitutional

administration to reduce child street hawking through the MHP. The article further

discovered how girls in northern Nigeria pulled back from the various projects. The critical

factor to be focused on is how the government actions did not yield any improvement. He

presented the idea of how religious leaders and parents became a tool against the

government policy and the stigmatization attached to girls who refused to street hawk. The

author made an intense analysis of some policies that were put in place in northern Nigeria.

He used interviews to enhance his knowledge on the reason why girls had to move to the

streets to hawk. This also deepened my understanding of the traditional and religious values

in the northern part of Nigeria as a child rights infringement.

The second article used was written by (Asare 2010). I used this article because it helped me

compare the reason for child street hawking in Ghana with that of the factors in Nigeria. The

factors raised in this article are quite different from the other articles. The author presented

street hawking, school dropout, and rural-urban migration as the leading causes of child
9

street hawking. He assesses how these factors are linked to poverty and child street

hawking. The author’s interviews concluded why most people preferred to shop on the

street and how street hawking became a second option for school dropouts. He provided

information on how the government of Ghana built market structures for street hawkers,

which made me understand why the government demolished roadside structures that were

meant for hawking. However, the author provided information on how the government

policy seemed to target the parent street hawkers to have a positive impact on their children

against child street hawking. The article aimed at providing information about the reality on

the ground concerning how some children came back into street hawking since they did not

have parents that could affect a change in their lives. He related the importance of street

hawking to the economy and a means of employment. He perceived street hawking in the

liberal lens as a form of an easy job and a source of income that could be taxed. He also

identified the way the government was flawed.

The next article was from (Lebenam, 2016), who verified the issue of child street hawking as

a significant malfunction in Ghana and the persistent increase in its number. This article

would be helpful since it has discussed the significant issues of child street hawking and how

the government has failed to sustain its own children. The article would be helpful because it

draws attention to the fact that the government has no policy for children in Ghana, creating

gaps in the systems and institutions The author used the sampling technique to know the

labor participation rate in Ghana and its association with the possibility of its occurrence.

The author again used the analytical approach, which would be expedient for my work since

it detailed how children left the school despite the free educational system. This part

elaborates how the patriarchal system keeps the girls on the streets and boys in classrooms.
10

The author presented how the government has neglected to tackle the issue of child sheet

hawking and how children did not receive any direct benefits from the government.

The next source of literature was from (Obiaks 2017). I chose this article because it looks at

other risks associated with child street hawking, the exposure children go through, and the

analysis of the attention given by the Nigerian government. This article was interesting for

my paper because some policies contradicted the usual ways other countries used. The

author followed several procedures to analyze the strategies of the government and how

issues like ethnic idiosyncrasies, gender inequality, and religious beliefs played a role in

hindering these policies. First, the author conducted a comprehensive interview on the

vexatious experiences children on the street through, their living costs, and the high cost of

education in Nigeria that nobody is talking about. This article was helpful because it accessed

different strategies and how they could sustain children in schools for a long time.

The next source of information I used was a newspaper by (Ogunyemi 2021). I chose to use

this newspaper because of its credibility in Nigeria. I was able to obtain information about

how the state government apprehended children that were seen on the streets during

school hours to serve as a deterrent against school children. This paper was fascinating

because it gives much information on the new social development strategies and how the

governments used inaugurations to educate the public. This paper gave out information on

an advocacy that summoned children found on the streets through local government units

to ensure their welfare. The paper also gave much insight into how people who infringed on

the educational rights of children were caught and prosecuted.

Lastly, I used another newspaper by (Fugu, 2021). It is one of the credible newspapers in

Ghana that presented the actuality of child street hawking in the city of Accra. The article
11

tackled the actuality on the ground and gave a realistic story. The author of the paper gave

the number of child street hawkers on the street using the estimates made by UNICEF.

DATA AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Child street hawking.

Street hawking is an activity that involves the sale of items on the streets, particularly in

developing countries. Street hawking is the primary job for many people to earn a living.

Some factors that lead to street hawking are school dropouts, lack of jobs, and rural-urban

migration. The level of unemployment rates in developing countries seems to be an

unending problem for graduates, not to mention the unskilled and uneducated who count as

the highest percentage of street hawkers. In addition, street hawking slows down the

development in a nation since their activities are not taxed, causing lots of traffic and road

accidents that negatively affect the governance of a country (Asare, 2010). A child is viewed

as an individual who is below eighteen years. Child street hawking is the act whereby

children make a livelihood from the streets by working to support themselves. Their

activities include head loading of wares and hunting around to look for buyers. They are

mostly exploited by people they live with to earn a roof, food, and other essentials.

According to the definition of the Working Group for Cooperation on Children, street

children are not usually without homes, but they are children who spend most of their time

on the streets. Street children are exposed to all sorts of hazardous conditions which could

be harmful to their health. Most of these children are at the development stage of their

mental health which goes a long way to affect their dreams, confidence, and morals. At this
12

critical stage, children could be easily affected negatively or positively on their mental health

growth. Child Street hawking has a negative impact on the mental development of children

and hence, it has received the attention of lots of officials who advocates against child street

hawking, (Kazeem, 2012). This has become a very difficult issue to tackle in west Africa since

the financial income provided by these children are highly valued by their parents. Two

forms of child street hawking were adopted. The first is those who sell during day and night

on the streets and go back home to sleep. They mostly live with extended families or poor

parents to have to work for survival. The second is those who sell day and night with no

homes and sleep on the streets. These ones are usually neglected by families or in a broken

home. They are usually vulnerable because they are exposed to all forms of hazards,

unwanted pregnancies, airborne diseases, and malaria. Some items street children sell on

the streets include food, water, and snacks. Child street hawking usually stems from

economic factors like poverty and the lack of employment (Oladiti, 2008). Child street

hawking is accompanied by many adverse complications, such as children forgoing their

education and future for a peanut of earnings. The UNICEF records over 15 million child

street hawkers below age fourteen (Tulder, 2002). Very few of them attend school.

However, they get back to the streets after they close from school. This makes them skip

extra-curricular activities and other schoolwork, thereby discouraging them from excelling in

school.

Child street hawking in Ghana

The Republic of Ghana is a country bothered by Togo and Cote d'Ivoire. Accra is the capital

of Ghana, with democracy as its form of governance. Its population is over 31 million, with

English and Akan as the official languages. It is the 2nd most popular country in West Africa
13

after Nigeria. Most of the country's social amenities and seats of governments are in its

urban areas, which creates a movement from rural areas to urban areas (National

Geographic, 2020). Children aged six to sixteen whose guardians can afford education are

lucky to enjoy a sound education at the elementary school. Ghana has a very good education

system as compared to other African countries. The British colonized Ghana in the 20th

century, built key developmental infrastructures in the southern part, and neglected the

northern part of Ghana. The cycle continues as governmental offices, social amenities, and

infrastructures are established in the southern part of Ghana, also known as the urban areas,

which led to issues of rural-urban migration. Most students dropout out of school, get

unemployed and migrate into cities to sell on the streets. Children are exposed to problems

such as sexual abuse and are at a high risk of accidents (Lebenam, 2016). People find it

easier to shop on the roadside since it is much more convenient and affordable than the

wares in structured shops. Street hawking has become the most popular resort for school

dropouts. The most prominent discussion by the news media is about street hawking

(Lebenam, 2016). The government of Ghana has not created enough employment

opportunities for the people, so street hawking has provided jobs. Street hawking requires

no big capital and is very easy to set up so individuals can get a job within a day. It has been

suggested that older street hawkers should be left on the streets since it contributes to a

bigger part of the informal sector economy and also serves as a form of employment for the

unskilled and school dropouts. The high occurrence of child street hawking in Ghana is due

to the fear of the loss of daily income (Lebenam, 2016). The issue of child street hawking is a

big malfunction in Ghana and a persistent increase in its number, but the NGOs,

government, and other groups temper with the exact figure. When the traffic lights turn red,

it indicates that vehicles should stop to allow other vehicles and pedestrians to pass, but this
14

is when children make a living on the streets of Accra. They walk in between vehicles to sell

their wares to people in vehicles. They scream to announce their items and try to convince

their potential buyers. They do not have specific items for sale but sell trendy items that are

highly demanded according to the season, like the nose mask, for instance (Fugu, 2021).

They sometimes resorted to car repair, pumping of car tyres, from 3 pm to 9 pm after school

and since they have no money to support themselves, they tend to lose focus in class which

makes them sad. There are millions of children going through situations like this per the

estimates of UNICEF (Fugu, 2021).

Government interventions and challenges- Ghana

Due to the level of intensity on the issue of child street hawking in Ghana, it has attracted

some governmental interventions to help reduce the situation. Government schemes and

approaches have made efforts to curb child street hawking. Firstly, the government of Ghana

influenced the AMA to sack children from the streets. Various market structures were built

for hawkers in the suburb areas of Ghana's capital (ASARE, 2010). During Ghana's fourth

administration in 2008, the governmental administration implemented an initiative to

finance street hawkers to boost their living conditions and quit being on the street. This

program was called the MASLOC. This initiative was also set up to support older street

hawkers to discourage them from pushing their children to the streets. MASLOC was the

biggest economic advocacy scheme to reduce poverty among petty traders like hawkers to

enhance their standard of living. This also supported female street children who carry stuff

for people in commercial centers. They are normally referred to as "Kayayo."

The next is a pedestrian market built by the government of Ghana for hawkers in the suburb

of Accra, structures built by hawkers on the roadside were demolished. The government also
15

provided loans for parents as start-up capital to equip them financially to start a stable

business and add value to the nation. The main aim of this program was to change the status

of parents, so it deters them from putting their wards at the risk of street hawking. However,

most of these children who were without parents did not enjoy this initiative, so they still

came back to the streets (Asare, 2010).

The third was a program to empower women to create small business structures so their

children could stay within to help. However, this strategy failed since the government of

Ghana did not target the children directly (Asare, 2010).

The fourth strategy implemented in Ghana to reduce poverty among street hawkers was the

ILO. This program was set up in 2002 to generate a micro-entrepreneurship for the poor and

has trained about 90 street hawkers to improve their status and develop business skills. This

was programmed to ensure self and skill improvement and have a regulated business that

can be taxed to impact the country positively.

The firth intervention was the "operation back home," which aimed to convince street

hawkers to receive business training to make them useful to their families and stop their kids

from moving into the streets. In 2007, The program became helpful to over 300 workers who

were mentored into other businesses. However, the program came to a standstill since the

government did not have enough budget for its implementation. The already trained

hawkers moved to the streets again since they did not receive continuous support. Another

strategy trained young women in clothes and soap making, but most lacked the needed

funds to continue with the business (Lebenam 2016).

The next was that the ministry of women and children established a scheme to establish

women into businesses by providing loans for them. This strategy failed Since most of these
16

poor women did not have any collateral or proper business plan to secure a loan due to the

improper check and monitoring systems on how the women run their business (Lebenam

2016).

Another strategy was the provision of free education for children. Children who are forced

into schools later drop out or go back to the street after school, making them perform

poorly. The most vulnerable children on the streets are difficult to reach and protect, hence,

the reason for the failed policies. The issue of child street hawking is usually left in

government policies and projects untouched. Child street hawking can be generational since

the tendency of a hawker's child to be on the street is high. Children who live in the northern

region of Ghana are forced into early marriages, which increases their financial burdens.

Most girls in this part of Ghana are eager to make money and acquire personal belongings

(Lebenam, 2016). According to Lebenam's evaluation, parents claim that taking children into

primary education and tertiary institutions is considered useless since the children would still

resort back to the streets after school. Quite a number of interventional steps have been

taken by the government of Ghana and other NGOs such as PIG and the CRI. Their main aim

was to provide children with vocational and educational training (Tufeiru Fuseini, 2020).

Despite all the existing strategies, of the state, the issue keeps escalating due to the low level

of cooperative mechanisms and the lack of accountability and transparency. The

interventions neglected the root cause of child street hawking and rather took immediate

decisions. Most child street hawkers do not get any direct help from governmental

institutions. Hence, no policy duly addresses child street hawking in Ghana. There is

mitigation in the rights of children since the government is unable to protect its own

children, thereby creating a gap in the systems and institutions

17

The district assemblies enforced laws against children working outside homes for long hours.

This is a pathetic situation since developed countries resort to education whereas children in

developing countries break their backs and weary their legs in street hawking. They have

taken over the responsibility of their parents by taking up activities that weighs them

emotionally and psychologically.

The government of Ghana has collaborated with other key stakeholders to educate the

public on the adverse effects associated with child street hawking and also a routine

inspection to make sure the activity is stopped and instigating the arrest of guardians who

force their wards into hawking. However, these interventions failed due to inadequate

funding, which has affected their monitoring. A recent newspaper recorded a saddened

event that happened as nine students got drowned on their way to work on the

headteacher’s farm during leisure time, (Fugu, 2021). Teachers mainly send children on

farms to work for them, and the administration responsible is yet to face judgment.

Child street hawking in Nigeria.

Nigeria is blessed with a very extensive land area with over 400 spoken languages, and its

large population earns it the name "Giant of Africa." It has a population of over 206 million

people. The country is well known for its strength in the music industry. There is an

unbalanced distribution of wealth in Nigeria, creating a higher level of poverty yet the richest

in West Africa. Nigeria was colonized by the British and practice democracy as a form of

governance (National Geographic, 2020). Child street hawking has been a problematic issue

in Nigeria for decades in major cities like Lagos. Most of Nigeria's social amenities and seats

of governments are in its urban areas, which creates a migration problem from rural areas

(Oladiti, 2008). The most lucrative business on the streets of Nigeria is street hawking. The

urban cities of Nigeria have become a very lucrative place for business, attracting children of
18

school-going age to earn an income and make a living even during school hours. Children are

the most partakers of street hawking in Nigeria since it serves as a means for survival for

them (Oladiti, 2008). They move from street to street to sell their wares. Hawkers who sell

similar goods move together and those who sell complementary goods. They carry their

goods in a pan on their heads and call out their goods to attract potential buyers (ADERINTO,

2000). Street hawking has, in a way, become a trend among school-going-aged children and

a significant problem facing the government of Nigeria. Children go through risks like

kidnapping, ritual killing, accidents, and physical assaults in Nigeria. Children are exposed to

all kinds of street activities, such as smoking and stealing. Street hawkers go through

vexatious experiences such as being hit and run by drunk truck drivers (Macellina Y.

Ijadunola*, 2015).

Governmental interventions and challenges- Nigeria

The government of Nigeria made efforts to create a general form of primary education that

mainly earmarks children and school dropouts. However, most parents were scared to make

their girls attend schools since the Universal Basic Education prohibits parents from

removing their wards from the school for marriage. The local government of the Muslim

community in northern Nigeria also created a constitutional administration to control and

gradually end the ongoing norm of child street hawking (Ekong, 2016). The government

established a millennium hope project to create an opportunity to help them acquire

training skills. Although it was meant for both genders, girls in northern Nigeria refused to

participate in this form of training. However, girls perceived it as a policy for the urban

dwellers and not the migrants.

Furthermore, the girls could not partake in the program entirely since they frequently visited

their villages. Although quite a few strategies have been put in place, the author raises a
19

reproval against the government's actions as a mere saying without implemented actions.

The truth is that girls are left behind in terms of education and other forms of training, which

could groom them into the future with better jobs (Usman, 2010). Boys were made to go to

school due to the patriarchal nature of society. Girls were forced to migrate to the cities to

work and cater for the younger siblings (Ekong, 2016). Aside from poverty being a factor,

religion is another crucial factor that leads girls in street hawking in northern Nigeria. A well-

known missionary leader in Islam claimed that the religion encouraged children below ten

years to help their parents and they identified this as a means of preparation to become

responsible wives and mothers someday (Usman 2010). Some parents believe that street

hawking can expose their daughters to meet their potential husbands quickly and would be

able to work hard to cater for their wedding expenses and buy items like kitchen utensils and

accessories (Usman 2010.) As custom demands, girls are expected to display their

accessories and utensils during their marriage ceremony as a form of prestige. A girl child

who comes out with very few accessories and utensils is tagged as lazy, so she might not be

able to get married since the man's family would tag her as a liability to the family. The girls

live a very aggressive lifestyle since they are under pressure to meet their traditional

expectations. Parents also believe street hawking creates a space for the girls to make

friends with other girls and socialize with the opposite sex (Obiaks, 2017. Parents also

believe that street hawking gives the girl financial stability and economic independence

(Dada, 2013). This has made it difficult for the government to eradicate child street hawking.

Furthermore, there was an implementation of a mobile school or "schools on wheel

strategy.” This is the act whereby a school train would go up and down the town to hit each

stop and gather children to teach to make learning consistent. If parents were financially

stable, they would be able to meet their daily means without compromising the future of
20

their younger children (Bolanle M Fetuga, 2005). In recent news, the state government

expressed how bad he wanted street hawking to be eradicated in the next year. He decided

to set up a raid to apprehend children seen on the streets during school hours, Ogunyemi,

2021. The government instituted every prerequisite through inaugurated campaigns to

educate the general public on the new social development strategy. The speaker of the state

child's rights implementation committee has set up a right to bring to justice anyone who

abuses children's rights. This advocacy sought to summon every child hawking on the streets

during school hours. They planned to step up the assembly's activities by establishing local

government units that ensure the welfare of children.

A traditional myth in Nigeria has made most parents believe that children are forms of

helpers responsible for providing economic assistance to their parents. This makes parents in

Nigeria give birth to many kids to make them work hard and support them financially since

poverty is very high. Divorce and the untimely death of parents are other factors pushing

children on the streets. Some children are also discouraged to continue with schooling due

to poor academic performance, which drives them to the streets quickly (Obiaks, 2017).

The government of Nigeria has implemented various strategies but has not yielded many

results. There is a continuous rise in the number of street hawkers annually and many works

of literature under the area of research. There is ongoing deliberation on whether Nigerian

policymakers should legalize or eradicate child street hawking. They believe that it creates

economic support for the family and reduces issues of poverty in homes (Obiaks, 2017). The

UNICEF describes the conditions of child street hawking as severe and cruel since children in

Nigeria must hustle to sleep under bridges and marketplaces (Tulder, 2002). According to

the Nigerian government, child street hawking is a total deviation from the country's

sustainable development since children are the country's future leaders. Child street
21

hawking has no benefit on the state's economy. It is not a good place for a developing

country like Nigeria. This led to the current research study. The study would also bring to the

limelight the government's actions, whether their implemented strategies have defended or

attacked the country's goals or how it has impacted the welfare of street children in Nigeria

(Oladiti, 2008). The UNICEF is against the participation of children in work-related activities

since it interferes with their health and education (Tulder, 2002). In Nigeria, child street

hawking is a way children help their parents and guardians from poverty. However, the

activities of these young ones would deter them from attending school since they develop

no zeal to attend school and hence, have no time for school activities and extra-academic

learning that takes place after school (Kazeem, 2012). The MHP was also a part of the

interventional strategies created by the Nigerian government for the northern sector to

create a compulsory educational system for the girls into school. However, this strategy

failed since it was a norm for girls to sell on the streets. It was also difficult for the street

hawkers to be tracked into the projects and training centers since they mostly left the urban

to rural areas for visits. The universal primary education was also another form of strategy

which powerfully acts against parents from withdrawing their children from school because

of marriage and were made to spend long years in school to delay early child marriage

(Dada, 2013). Guilty parents were mostly fined or imprisoned. Most parents in the northern

areas of Nigeria did not want to experience this since they did not receive any economic

benefits from the children. They rather stopped their children from being enrolled in schools

in order to avoid these punitive measures. Another commission also brought about their

"school on wheels," to educate any child they come across so that children do not get any

reason to skip classes.

22

Poverty levels in Ghana and Nigeria have curtailed the government's efforts to reduce child

street hawking (McGill, 2014).

The government of Nigeria has not been able to effectively eradicate street hawking as its

number keeps increasing. Street Hawking has been given lighter attention. There is still a

policy deliberation concerning whether to legalize street hawking or suppress child street

hawking (Dada, 2013). Other policymakers have advocated for it to be legalized since they

think it creates an employment avenue and economic security for children. They believe that

the earning of children can contribute to solving family financial situations. The issue of

street hawking is still persistent, although the government has made efforts to implement

compulsory education. However, the all-time chief hindrance of education is the street

hawking aspects of child labor. The author argues that issues of gender inequality, ethnic

idiosyncrasies, and religious beliefs hinder the government's policies. Another reason why

Street hawking cannot be reduced despite the governmental policies and strategies put in

place is due to the high cost of living and high cost of education in Nigeria that, 's nobody is

talking about. The educational system in Nigeria has been left for the rich alone and has

been compromised to the extent that textbooks that are used by predecessors cannot be

used by their successes and children are expected to do their homework in the textbook,

which means no other person can use the same book. The author suggested that if parents

are educated on the side dangers associated with street hawking, it would reduce the rates

of its occurrence. There should also be mass free compulsory education and also poverty

eradication programs in the country to deter parents from pushing their children to the

streets

INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
23

This study seeks to analyze how interventional programs put in place for child street hawking

have successfully been implemented in Ghana and Nigeria. This is study aims to explore the

extent to which interventional programs in Ghana have successfully been implemented to

reduce child street hawking. This section would also throw more light on the causes of child

street hawking. The findings of the study were analyzed using other researchers' articles.

It was deduced that most girls found in the northern part of Nigeria were left behind in

terms of education which cannot guarantee them a stable carrier since their traditional

cultural values push them into early marriages. The findings generated concerns about

children's participation in street hawking. Most of them move from rural areas to urban

centers, which is a bigger challenge of street hawking. Another finding was how girls in the

northern parts of Nigeria were expected to work on the streets to be supportive in the

future with their potential husbands and also provide for their families. They believed that

girls could face their economic responsibilities in the future with confidence and handle the

financial burden of families. Religious beliefs and traditions in the northern part of Ghana

also require girls into early marriages and burden them to earn more money for their

wedding ceremony. It can also be interpreted that there is an economic hardship across both

countries with a higher cost of living. These are the pull factors that cause rural-urban

migration. There are no employment opportunities in the rural areas, which slows down

economic activities and businesses. It can be interpreted that the way of living in Ghana and

Nigeria is also a factor since it is a norm for people to move into the cities and go back and

help the needy in the villages. There is a direct link that can be connected to the fact that

many street hawkers are not aware of the government intervention policies in Ghana. It can

be detected that another main reason why the government intervention programs failed

was that most street hawkers invited their family members and friends from the villages to
24

the cities to join them in the street hawking businesses as a means for daily survival, which

therefore increases the number of people on the streets every day. As a result, street

hawkers do not see the need for any interventional programs. In Ghana and Nigeria, it can

be interpreted that more than half of street hawkers do not have any source of income in

their town of origin, which depicts that the government has a lot more work to do in terms

of decentralization. Children constituted the highest number of street hawkers, making the

street a big platform for post-school destinations. There were lots of children who were not

aware of the interventional programs of the government. One would think that since

parents are usually the breadwinners, they would consider joining the government programs

to train themselves and be able to support their families. But they did not show any interest

in branding themselves. The loans became inaccessible for many parents because extreme

poverty made it difficult for them to acquire collateral. However, those who took part in the

government intervention programs did not have any positive benefits in their life, which

could not have transformed those on the streets to partake in the programs. It can be

posited that this is a big challenge for the government since the beneficiaries did not receive

a change of life or a positive impact when they joined the programs; hence, the

governmental strategy of both Nigeria and Ghana is marked as ineffective. Some hawkers

could not identify the particular government programs that were available. It can be

detected that they were either not interested, did not know the usefulness of the programs,

lacked business ideas, or the fear that they would be tagged by it when they accepted the

government's money. Also, they thought that the government loans had a lot of restrictions.

In Ghana, the operation "go back home" was not an option for street Hawkers since they

could not afford to go back home because they had left their towns of origin to secure a job

opportunity in the city. They also refused to take the government loan because they felt it
25

was inaccessible, and even after training, they would become unemployed since there were

no employment opportunities in the country. Then the main assumption for this study was

that street talking was a necessity and not a want for those children found on the streets.

The findings were confirmed reliable from the articles, newspapers, and journals analyzed

for this research work. Based on further readings, it can be interpreted that children were

aware of the risk involved in street hawking but insisted that that is the only means of

survival. Children were found on the streets not because of their fascination with city life but

because they were obliged to be on the streets by their parents, who were also street

hawkers. The leading causes of Street hawking in Ghana are poverty and the disproportional

development in Ghana. Financial problems are also part of the reason why children are

pushed on the streets by their parents to the street to hawk for their upkeep. Most children

did not have any financial support from their parents, so they needed to work hard and save

money for school.

From the study, it was obvious that there was no single policy that solved the issue of Child

Street hawking in Ghana even though there have been an existing state strategies put in

place by the Ministry of gender children and social protection. It can be deduced that there

is a gap in the system since the states have not been able to protect the rights of children

hence their rights being infringed upon. The overall findings showed that it is difficult for

parents to take care of the children in the harsh economic system in Ghana and Nigeria;

therefore, it discourages them from taking the children to school and rather makes them

work on the streets to assist home. The high cost of transportation and house renting boils

down to how parents are unable to bear this financial burden. It can also be interpreted that

the large family size increases the responsibility on parents who find it difficult to enroll their
26

children in school. Another factor is that children do not know that they could improve their

bad performance in school. This deterred them from joining their colleagues and instead,

moved to the streets to find comfort in the other children on streets. Most children have this

notion of getting rich quickly since the long years spent in school looks like a waste of time to

them.

CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATION

President Nelson Mandela once said, “the power of education must not be underestimated

since it is through it that the daughter of a peasant becomes a doctor, and the son of a

farmer becomes a present of a country (Obiaks 2017). “Developing countries need leaders

who are willing to work towards the social, economic, and political development of the

country. Every child has an inbuilt potential that is meant to help in the development of a

particular country and the world in general. Education is the other way to materialize the

potentials of children and is also responsible for grooming their personalities. This makes

human capital a very important aspect of the development of the nation. Education is

responsible for the development of intellectual abilities and forms the basis of literacy to

attain skills and advance one's ability to make the attainment of societal goals easier.

Child street hawking is a very prevalent issue in Ghana and Nigeria, especially in its capital.

This study sought to assess the extent to which the intervention programs of the

government of Ghana and Nigeria performed the function of which they were created.

However, research shows that most of the street hawkers had no idea about the

interventional program created by the government. Both governments also did not keep any

records of their improvements. The steps were to understand the concept of child street
27

hawking, why it existed, and why it became a second option for poor children or those who

did not perform well in school. Through the use of articles, it was revealed that children

would be pushed to the streets to hawk as a means of survival. Another discovery goes

deeper, relating it to poverty. Other findings also revealed that there were no available

training programs for children who did not want to go to school. This study adds up to the

body of knowledge by giving recommendations to the visible gaps concerning the

interventional programs off the government and to make the concept of child street

hawking better understood. The findings and results showed that child street hawking could

be linked with their extravagant cost of living, poverty, large family sizes, religious beliefs,

and ignorance of governmental strategies. The government of Nigeria and Ghana need to

create policies that would specifically tackle the issues of child street hawking. Again, there

should be institutions that would monitor and evaluate the implemented strategy set by the

government in order to facilitate its actions. Lastly, agencies responsible for setting up these

policies should have all the needed resources and mandate to work out their task. The

government should lobby for more help from foreign aid and strengthen its ties with NGOs.

to support its policies and address the issue of child street hawking. The government also

needs to prioritize issues concerning children on the streets and intensify programs that

would educate streets children on how to make their lives better through education or

vocational training and provide guidance to the parents of street hawkers on the importance

of educating their children. The government has to also create job opportunities for parents

so they s can be employed to be able to take care of the family and also to make education

free at every level, especially for the poor. The government should also punish parents

whose children are seen on the streets and advocate a family planning strategy to reduce

family size. There should be a law that fights against child street talking, especially during
28

school hours, and free education being made compulsory for all. Parents should also be

made to join adult education programs which would give them more insight and wave of

their ignorance when it comes to some religious leaders who impose street hawking on

children. There should be a strategic schooling policy that allows girls to stay longer in

schools so that they are not pushed into an early marriage. Child street hawking retards the

social-economic development of a country. The government has provided programs and

policies to reduce its occurrence, and yet, it has not seen any function performed for the

purpose of which it was implemented in both countries

Endnotes
i
Researchers examine over the years the socio-economic dynamics of child street hawking
i
See Usman (2010), especially chapter 2, for more information of the causes of child street
hawking Nigeria.
From the chapter “Causes of girls’ street hawking in cities p. 6. Copyright 2009 by Copyright
Holder. Reprinted with permission.

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