Chibuike Ibe jumped nimbly aboard the large bus that was just rolling to a stop at Oshodi, managing to precariously balance a tray of beef rolls in one hand and hang on for dear life to the doors as passengers struggled to alight from the bus. He is nine years old, and the time was few minutes shy of 10pm.

Reacting to the queries of a couple of incredulous passengers on the Mile 2 bound bus, the youngster retorted: “Even my junior brother dey sell for Cele (bus stop on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway)”, and proceeded to hawk his wares at the top of his voice while striding the length of the 50-seater bus.

“Look at how such a small boy is selling things by this time of the night that he should be in bed, what kind of parents will send such young children out to the streets to sell? What will he even sell?” asked a Shola Akanbi, a passenger aboard the bus.

Not all passengers, however, shared Ms. Akanbi’s concerns, as the wad of cash that Chibuike clutched in his dirty hands showed sufficient proof that business was good.

As the massive population of Lagos State continues to swell considerably, the activities of child hawkers have continued to increase, despite the efforts made by the state government’s at curtailing this development.

What the government did

Concerned with the trend, the state government have rolled out series of sensitisation programmes in the last few years and warned that parents whose children were caught in the streets, especially during school hours, would be issued a ‘yellow card’ for first offenders, and a ‘red card’ for repeat offences.

The state’s deputy governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has constantly instructed law enforcement agents to sweep the streets and apprehend defaulters, specially targeting the arrest and prosecution of parents whose children were caught.

“Education and proper upbringing of our children is the only way to eradicate poverty,” she said. “The law forbids the use of under-aged children for domestic labour, negligence and maltreatment on the part of parents and guardians as it negates the tenets of the Child Rights law. The Lagos State Government, through the various agencies of government, will ensure the survival, development and protection of all the children in the state, the laws will be enforced to the letter in order to ensure that all the rights of our children are protected.

Parents, scared of finding themselves on the wrong side of the law, reign in their children during day. However, the child hawkers simply come out at night, when law enforcement officials are scarce. And their numbers have continued to swell considerably.

Spots like Oshodi, Ojuelegba, Obalende, Cele bus stop, and Mile 2 are their favourite haunts due to the high number of commuters that pass through these places, and their bustling night life.

‘We make money to support’

Another child hawker at Oshodi, who gave her name as Toun, said she had to make sure that she sold out her oranges before going home, often as late as midnight. She gave her age as 14, but looked 10.

“Our house no far, so if I finish this one, I will go and take more from my mother who is peeling them there,” she said, while expertly balancing a tray of oranges on her head and darting in between the buses at Oshodi. “Why my mama say make we help am sell na to support am.”

Not all of them, however, are trading to supplement family incomes; some, like 16-year-old immigrant Sherrif Adebisi, have no family to take care of them, and simply have to live off the streets.

“Before I used to beg (for alms), but one Good Samaritan gave me N5000 and I started with pure (sachet) water business before I went into the soft drinks that I am doing (selling) now,” he said.

Bad economy

Oluyemisi Wada, founder of Haven for the Nigerian Child Foundation, an Lagos-based NGO that rehabilitates street children, is not comfortable with the government’s efforts so far, and also blames parents for contributing to the increasing population of street children across the metropolis.....

More here>>> http://telegraphng.com/2013/07/the-child-hawkers-of-lagos/

Well thats the sad reality happening in lagos and other parts of nigeria.anytime i buy things from this youngsters i leave the change with them as a way of helping them because i usually feel sorry for them.you or i could have been in their position but thank God for God and thank God for your parents.i remember when i was on leave few years back,there was one little girl that usually hawks packs of maggi and other cooking things around my street and i had to call the little girl,i asked her how old are you she said 8,i said dont you have parents,she said they do,i said ehhen,where are they,she said they are at home watching t.v,i said oya take me to your house,she entered the car with her things,while at it i called the enforcement agents that arrest people that traffic kids and use them as labourers when they should be in school.anyway they came and met me where we were and as soon as she saw the officers she started getting agitated.she said aunty what did i do that you are calling police for me,i said you did nothing,they are not arresting you and she started crying aunty dont let them take me away and then i said ok they wont.just be calm,i told those guys to drive behind me and follow me to their house.when we got there,we actually met them watching tv,the mans leg on the table drinking dry gin and tying wrapper to his waist while the mother was tying short wrapper sitting idle,i said oya guys do your work.the man asked what is our offence,as typical of police,they said when you get there you will know,to cut the long story short,they claimed it was poverty.they were asked to write statement and they will let them go but be monitoring that girl,the next time she is found on the street when she is supposed to be in school,they will be arrested.that was the last time i saw that girl there.if i didnt take action,thats how the parents will destroy that girls life all in the name of poverty,before we say jack robinson,one hooligan will lure her with 1oo naira to an uncompleted building and rape her there,before she is 15,she is a female tout or prostitute constituting a nuisance to her country.its just very pathetic.things like this breaks my heart

^^^^nice one......I hope it didn't land the little girl in hot soup with her parents after you left?

Very good initiative though

nice one @kulyie.. my heart bleeds each time i see those kids hawking on the streets but the laws being churned out at the national assembly against child labor are unserious laws! the state Government of each state should do something about it.. Formerly, akwa-ibomites were known as professional houseboy/girls not until Akpabio changed that situation.. and if you check very well, the parents of this street hawkers normally give birth to plenty children just because pu.na.ni is sweet and they like it raw.. it pains me for the children but i think their parents must be made to pay for their sins

kulyie: Well thats the sad reality happening in lagos and other parts of nigeria.anytime i buy things from this youngsters i leave the change with them as a way of helping them because i usually feel sorry for them.you or i could have been in their position but thank God for God and thank God for your parents.i remember when i was on leave few years back,there was one little girl that usually hawks packs of maggi and other cooking things around my street and i had to call the little girl,i asked her how old are you she said 8,i said dont you have parents,she said they do,i said ehhen,where are they,she said they are at home watching t.v,i said oya take me to your house,she entered the car with her things,while at it i called the enforcement agents that arrest people that traffic kids and use them as labourers when they should be in school.anyway they came and met me where we were and as soon as she saw the officers she started getting agitated.she said aunty what did i do that you are calling police for me,i said you did nothing,they are not arresting you and she started crying aunty dont let them take me away and then i said ok they wont.just be calm,i told those guys to drive behind me and follow me to their house.when we got there,we actually met them watching tv,the mans leg on the table drinking dry gin and tying wrapper to his waist while the mother was tying short wrapper sitting idle,i said oya guys do your work.the man asked what is our offence,as typical of police,they said when you get there you will know,to cut the long story short,they claimed it was poverty.they were asked to write statement and they will let them go but be monitoring that girl,the next time she is found on the street when she is supposed to be in school,they will be arrested.that was the last time i saw that girl there.if i didnt take action,thats how the parents will destroy that girls life all in the name of poverty,before we say jack robinson,one hooligan will lure her with 1oo naira to an uncompleted building and rape her there,before she is 15,she is a female tout or prostitute constituting a nuisance to her country.its just very pathetic.things like this breaks my heart

Na wa o!

Kulyie, that was really brave of you and disgraceful of the parents!

This really is sad because the way that innocent child entered your car, is the exact same why she would / could have entered a stranger's car. A stranger intending to do her harm, meanwhile her parent do nothing but sit in their wrappers watching TV as their daughter is out on the streets risking her life.

People like these don't deserve to have kids while others, with the means to love and care for them are denied having children. This world is such an unfair place.

Chinwem: ^^^^nice one......I hope it didn't land the little girl in hot soup with her parents after you left?

Very good initiative though

i hope not

Efemena_xy:

Na wa o!

Kulyie, that was really brave of you and disgraceful of the parents!

This really is sad because the way that innocent child entered your car, is the exact same why she would / could have entered a stranger's car. A stranger intending to do her harm, meanwhile her parent do nothing but sit in their wrappers watching TV as their daughter is out on the streets risking her life.

People like these don't deserve to have kids while others, with the means to love and care for them are denied having children. This world is such an unfair place.

unfortunately those are the ones that have many kids.while their kids are out in the cold or in the sun,walking the nooks and crannies of the streets,they are busy making babies.its just very sickening to say the least. The annoying part of it is that rain will be falling,they will still chase the girl out in the cold to sell.the girl claims they tell her she must make at least 5oo naira every day otherwise no food.whether it is raining or sun is shinning,i said madam if you can do this for your own child that you laboured for several hours to bring to this world,what will you do if you have a house help.as far as i am concerned,you are just wearing a female cloth,i am just seeing an animal who was fortunate to bear a child

^^ Agreed.

And the man is just as useless. Aren't dads supposed to be extra protective of their daughters? Sharing that special father-daughter bond??

Shameful.

What Kuylie did is highly commendable and if we all do that there should be a reduction of child hawkers. However I think there is also something the government can do, how about setting up a mechanism for foster care or even adoption as they do in obodo oyinbo. Let's have a well funded child care social services who can take d kids away from those lazy and useless parents making the children hawk and pobably give them up for adoption or put them in foster care. Just my thoughts.

kulyie: Well thats the sad reality happening in lagos and other parts of nigeria.anytime i buy things from this youngsters i leave the change with them as a way of helping them because i usually feel sorry for them.you or i could have been in their position but thank God for God and thank God for your parents.i remember when i was on leave few years back,there was one little girl that usually hawks packs of maggi and other cooking things around my street and i had to call the little girl,i asked her how old are you she said 8,i said dont you have parents,she said they do,i said ehhen,where are they,she said they are at home watching t.v,i said oya take me to your house,she entered the car with her things,while at it i called the enforcement agents that arrest people that traffic kids and use them as labourers when they should be in school.anyway they came and met me where we were and as soon as she saw the officers she started getting agitated.she said aunty what did i do that you are calling police for me,i said you did nothing,they are not arresting you and she started crying aunty dont let them take me away and then i said ok they wont.just be calm,i told those guys to drive behind me and follow me to their house.when we got there,we actually met them watching tv,the mans leg on the table drinking dry gin and tying wrapper to his waist while the mother was tying short wrapper sitting idle,i said oya guys do your work.the man asked what is our offence,as typical of police,they said when you get there you will know,to cut the long story short,they claimed it was poverty.they were asked to write statement and they will let them go but be monitoring that girl,the next time she is found on the street when she is supposed to be in school,they will be arrested.that was the last time i saw that girl there.if i didnt take action,thats how the parents will destroy that girls life all in the name of poverty,before we say jack robinson,one hooligan will lure her with 1oo naira to an uncompleted building and rape her there,before she is 15,she is a female tout or prostitute constituting a nuisance to her country.its just very pathetic.things like this breaks my heart

Naija mentality. Must everything be shifted to poverty. He has the cash to drink and watch tv while his mates are out there struggling.

If I were the government they will be send to 2 weeks in prison.
Useless family.

FG need to do something, this is getting out of hand.

If you can't afford to train a child don't give birth to them period .

The one that always annoy me the most is that the world richest men always have 1 or 2 kids . But poor niggas will like to have one dozen, isn't that stupidity.

Our FG should look into the way poor niggas produce children because that is child labour which should be abolished.

God bless 9ja.

Double post.

Youngzedd:

Naija mentality. Must everything be shifted to poverty. He has the cash to drink and watch tv while his mates are out there struggling.

If I were the government they will be send to 2 weeks in prison.
Useless family.

FG need to do something, this is getting out of hand.

If you can't afford to train a child don't give birth to them period .

The one that always annoy me the most is that the world richest men always have 1 or 2 kids . But poor niggas will like to have one dozen, isn't that stupidity.

Our FG should look into the way poor niggas produce children because that is child labour which should be abolished.

God bless 9ja.

unfortunately child rights act are only on papers,they are noty enforced.you will see children that arew supposed to be in school as young as 1o year olds doing conductor,searching for things in the dustbin to sell,going to local restaurants begging for remenants of food people eat.i remember even as an undergraduate.my friend dragged me to all this local restaurants convincing me their food was nice and while eating we saw some kids beging for the remenats of food that they should pack it together for them so they can eat.this are kids between 6 to 1o tears.the madam said ehen una go wash plates first before i give una food,i said madam this are just kids na,abeg give them,she said taaaaa,pikin for lagos,no pikin for anywhere again.i opened my wallet and gave them 2oo naira for them to eat.see the way they were rushing the food,i was like shuuu,after finishing their food,they were so happy and said thank you,my arms still folded lost in thought i said and someone gave birth to this ones.the kids fighting for pastic fanta nko that a driver threw away from the window nko.so many kids are out there suffering like tommorow no dey and someone will be asking me why miscreants are increasing in lagos despite the fact that fashola is sending them away

kulyie: unfortunately child rights act are only on papers,they are noty enforced.you will see children that arew supposed to be in school as young as 1o year olds doing conductor,searching for things in the dustbin to sell,going to local restaurants begging for remenants of food people eat.i remember even as an undergraduate.my friend dragged me to all this local restaurants convincing me their food was nice and while eating we saw some kids beging for the remenats of food that they should pack it together for them so they can eat.this are kids between 6 to 1o tears.the madam said ehen una go wash plates first before i give una food,i said madam this are just kids na,abeg give them,she said taaaaa,pikin for lagos,no pikin for anywhere again.i opened my wallet and gave them 2oo naira for them to eat.see the way they were rushing the food,i was like shuuu,after finishing their food,they were so happy and said thank you,my arms still folded lost in thought i said and someone gave birth to this ones.the kids fighting for pastic fanta nko that a driver threw away from the window nko.so many kids are out there suffering like tommorow no dey and someone will be asking me why miscreants are increasing in lagos despite the fact that fashola is sending them away

Na wa o!

A simple condom would prevent bringing kids you can't cater for, into a world of unnecessary hardship!

How much does a packet of the stuff cost?? Smh at some parents.

Nigeria, we hail thee...