AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STREET HAWKING AMONG SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN ITOBE, KOGI STATE
1Baba Isaac Ibrahim & 2Paul Desmond Ukwenya
1 & 2 Department of History and International Studies, Federal University Lokoja,
Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria.
1Email: babaisaacibrahim@yahoo.com
2Email: ukwenya200@gmail.com
Abstract
Many Africans are of the view that the child needs to support the family in carrying out certain vocational activities so as to make them to be self-reliant. Consequently, children are engaged in carrying out chores within the household and run errands for their parents as part of their growing up. Adopting the historical methodology, this study made use of primary and secondary sources to acquire information. The primary sources were information obtained from oral interviews, supplemented by books, journal articles, newspapers, and internet materials which constitute the secondary sources. This study therefore, interrogates the impact of street hawking among school age children in Itobe, an emerging commercial hub on the East of the River Niger along Lokoja-Ajaokuta-Anyigba and Okene-Ajaokuta-Anyigba roads. It examine the nature of the households and the socio-economic conditions that made children to play a vital role in the production process in rural areas and supporting family income. Thus, many parents have many children because they consider the children to be economically useful. It is against this background that this article assesses the socio-economic impact of street hawking among school age children in Itobe, Kogi State. The article submits that, in as much as children can learn to be productive early in life by learning business skills, the hawking activities should be balanced in a way that the children involved are able to acquire at least basic education. Besides, government should intervene in providing Universal Basic Education Task Force to enforce compliance with the UBE Act.
KeyWords: Children, Hawking, Itobe, School Age, Socio-Economic, Street
Introduction
Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights of children and has been shown to hinder children’s development, potentially leading to lifelong physical or psychological damage. Evidence points to a strong link between household poverty and child labour, and child labour perpetuates poverty across generations by keeping the children of the poor out of school and limiting their prospects for upward social mobility. This lowering of human capital has been linked to slow economic growth and social development. Recent International Labour Organization (ILO) studies have shown that the elimination of child labour in transition or developing economies could generate economic benefits much greater than the costs, which are mostly associated with investment in better schooling and social services.[1] The fundamental ILO standards on child labour are the two legal pillars of global action to combat child labour. These instruments are the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)[2] and Worst forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).[3]
Despite the existence of these Conventions, the situation of street hawking among school age children has continued unabated because it is considered to be an essential aspects of socialization among children, regardless of the attendant moral and physical dangers that it portend for the children The argument by respondents is that the child needs to support the family income and learn how to trade at the same time making them to be self-reliant.[4] A critical examination of this statement reveals that the people are interested in the gains of the present time and not the future or development of the children that work; because a child that work or hawks instead of schooling or learning a skill stands the chance to live in poverty in his/her adult life. This paper therefore, interrogates the impact of street hawking among school age children in Itobe, an emerging commercial hub on the East of the River Niger along Lokoja-Ajaokuta-Anyigba and Okene-Ajaokuta-Anyigba roads. It examines the nature of the households and their socio-economic conditions and how children have come to play a vital role in the production process in rural areas. Consequently, parents have many children because they consider the children to be economically useful.
Socio-Economic Status of Households and Reasons for Street Hawking
Itobe, being a relatively rural area in transition, the socio-economic conditions of many households expose them to poverty as a result of low income earnings. Most of the household heads are petty traders with low income, some are either farmers, unemployed or have migrated to the city in search of greener pastures.[5] An average household consisted four to eight members with most of them having one of the parents dead or not resident in Itobe, and the children’s age ranging from six to fifteen. According to an informant these households sent their children out to hawk in the light of poverty. Their children hawk in order to supplement the household income. According to Ajuma Ogu, in an interview she noted that; they hawk to support the family income, their father works as a private driver with a low wage, so they have been managing.[6] She went further to explain that the proceeds they realised from their hawking business supplements the family earnings. [7]
The death of one the household heads is also a contributory factor to cases of hawking in Itobe. In the words of Aisha Bello, “the death of my husband made me to send my children to hawk. Since I lost my husband, life has been so difficult for me and my children and my job is only fetching me little or no income at times. The children assist me to raise the household income in order to meet ends meet.”[8] Basically, poverty has made many parents to send their children to hawk in order to support family income. Some of these households wished their children are in school but since there is no means for them to send their children to school they had to send them to hawk. For instance, Cecelia Egbunu in an interview stated that: “I wish my child could further his education but there is no means to send him to school. My husband left for the North and visits home twice a year and sends little money home which is not enough to cater for the household”.[9]
Mr. Idris Attah, in an interview, revealed that some parent in the area preferred to send their children to hawk rather than send them to school. He explained how he lost his job as a driver in a private company and could not afford to pay for the children fees and they had to drop out of school and started hawking on the street. Besides, the children are not just hawking but learning trade at the same time.[10] Thus, what is the essence of sending them to school when they will not have good job at the end of the day?[11] It is believed by this male head of household that children can also gain knowledge of trade while growing up through hawking. This further explain that parents make decision for their children either to hawk or to attend school in the light of poverty ravaging the family. That is, parent have authority and full control over their children and decides for them what to do or not. In addition, the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria has made most residents to think that it is a waste of time and resources to go to school when you can actually start making money through trading on the street. It is therefore pertinent to create employment opportunities for young school leavers so as to encourage the younger ones to go to school.
Similarly, it can be said that some parent want their children to take after their occupation. This view has been supported by Mrs. Hadiza Shaibu who explained that she learnt trade in fishes and palm oil from her mother, so she want her daughters to also learn how to sell, in order to support their household as wives and mother.[12] She went further to explain that those children who go to school, at the end they will be looking for money (job hunting) and those who hawk or trade are also looking for money as the same thing; therefore there is no need going to school since there is no guaranteed way to make money.[13] This scenario clearly shows that some of the informants who are breadwinners of their household sees nothing wrong with children hawking. Apparently, poverty accounted for the major reasons most parents send their children to hawk in Itobe town. This is because most households find it difficult to meet up with the subsistence needs of the households. The alternative they have is to send their children out to hawk.
The Nature of Hawking and Quality of Life Among School Age Children
Pictures of Children Hawking on the Street in Itobe.
Source: Authors’ field work
The above are pictures of children who should be in school learning with their wares hawking on the street of Itobe town. The children hawk by carrying trays or buckets filled with items on their heads. Some the children who were accessed and interviewed ranged from the ages of six to fifteen years. Some of these children are from polygamous homes and extended families. It was discovered that most of the children hawking on the street hawk for long hours that is not less than four hours at least while some hawk from early in the morning to evening.[14] Some of these children are from households whose parents have little or no formal education and mostly unemployed. It should be noted that the health of these children is of main concern because they do get tired as a result of long walks with heavy loads on their heads. Also shouting to advertise what they sell affects their voices. Sara Adams a 12 years old girl explains that she has body pain all the time she hawked on the street. She hawks heavy food stuff such as yam for long hours which affects her health.[15] Also, Precious Adaji a 13 years old girl explained how she walks extra miles to sell half or almost all the items that she hawks.[16]Abdul Onu a 10 years old boy hawks sachet water in the afternoon and hawks food items in the evening; hence, he had no time to go to school at all. He said that if he does not hawk, the family may not have what to eat. In addition, the father cannot afford to send him and his four other siblings to school at the same time because of poverty in the family.[17] Therefore, it can be said that street hawking has deprived these children from getting formal education.
School attendance among children who hawk in our area of study can be said to be very low. This because these children that hawk skip some classes and sometimes, skip some school days out rightly. This also affects their academic performance. This is because, before going to school they will do some chores or hawk in the morning and usually get to school late and return back home early to hawk; thus, they barely concentrate on their study aside being fatigued. Comparing the set of children that go to school after hawking and those that do not go to school, there seems to be just a little difference. This is because they go to school late since they have to do household chores before they go to school in the morning and return immediately after school to hawk.[18] This is further supported by Waliat Ibrahim an 11years old girl who states that she attends school late because she had some house chores to do before leaving the house. According to her: “I do household chores before going to school in the morning and on getting to school, I would have missed two lesson periods. My teacher will punish me for coming late to school. While my other classmates wait for after school lesson, I have to rush home to hawk. When I return from hawking in the evening, I assist my mother in cooking dinner after that I would have been tired since all I need to do is to go to bed to rest”.[19]
From this narrative, it is clear that the academic performance of the student may be affected as she has no time to revise what she has been taught in school. In order to maintain the ethics of the study and not to dampen the spirit of the informants, questions regarding the academic performance of the girl were avoided, so that she will not be moody and not share other parts of her story. However, it should be noted that among those that do not go to school, there are those that dropped out of school as a result of their parent’s inability to afford the school fees and other related expenses; while some others did not go to school at all.
The story of Hauwa Usman shows that, the household poverty compelled her parents to withdraw all the children from school except for the first born who is to complete his University education before she goes to school. According to Hauwa: “After the loss of my father’s job as a gateman in one private organization, we are unable to have our three square meal in a day, buying our school books is difficult, we go to school with tattered school uniform. My daddy withdrew us from the school and we started helping our mother to sell so that we can have money to eat and pay for my brother education.”[20] Similarly, Lydia Igah, a 12 years old girl, in an interview revealed that: “I always like to see my friend when she is reading and doing her school homework with lots of beautiful books. She informed me that her parent told her that she can become a doctor, lawyer, nurse, accountant if she reads her books. I also want to be like her, but my parents cannot afford to send me to school at the moment”.[21] It can be inferred from these views that some of these street hawking children who do not go to school, desire or wish to go to school or learn vocational skills and become professionals in their own rights but, regrettably, the socio-economic conditions of their parents could not afford them the opportunity to attend school and actualize their full potentials.
Impact of Street Hawking Among School Age Children in Itobe
The effects of child labour in the form of street hawking or trading in any area, transcend individuals, families and the immediate society; as it goes a long way to impact even national development. This is because, the development of children in any society is important to the overall sustainable development of the country,[22] and that is why Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 4 is on Quality Education for all.[23] Majority of children who engage in street hawking are deprived of the various human development stages. This is because they are left alone on the street without any supervision and direction. Hence, children in concrete operational stage[24] need guidance to be able to reason logically and organise their thoughts coherently, which is crucial for the development to the formal operational stage which involves abstract and acute thinking.[25]
Furthermore, another impact of street hawking among school age children is that most pupils and students who are engaged in hawking do not engage in effective academic activities. In other words, hawking affect the academic performance of the children. This is because, most of the hawkers who hawk in the morning hours before going to school are perpetual latecomers to school who lack concentration in class work due to fatigue and stress;[26] which results to poor academic performance, delinquency and truant behaviour. These category of children tend to show behavioural problems, low self-esteem, withdrawal syndrome, oppositional behaviour and learning difficulties. It is therefore, evident that children who hawk on the street are unlikely to contribute positively to societal development because of poor educational performance; but are largely predisposed to crimes or criminal lifestyle.
The situation of street hawking among school age children is considered in most parts of Africa to be an essential aspects of socialization among children, regardless of the attendant moral and physical dangers that it portends for the children. Many Africans are of the view that the child needs to support the family in carrying out certain vocational activities so as to make them to be self-reliant. Galli asserts that part-time child labour can still be harmful for human capital accumulation since it competes with other human capital developing activities such as time to study at home. [27] Suffice to say therefore that, children deserve to grow healthy without subjecting them to any form of labour in order for them to have a good life and to be highly productive in their adult life.
In the same vein, child labour in the form of street hawking among school age children has also affected the growth and health of the children in the town. Some of these children engaging in street trading are exposed to sexual harassment or rape, with its attendant risks such as sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy which can also lead to Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) due to immature reproductive organ and even death in an attempt to abort unwanted pregnancy.[28] In an interview with Safiya Usman, a nurse, noted that the health challenges confronting children hawking along the Itobe expressway to include accidents, fighting injuries, sexual assaults and its attendant consequences, emotional trauma, etc.[29] Safiya’s view has been corroborated by a study carried out by Johnson and Ihesie, which identified health challenges associated with children-street hawking to include general body pains, leg pains, neck pains, waist pains, headaches, sunburns, tiredness/weakness, fever, chest pains, cough, rashes, pregnancy, hand pains and stomach pains.[30] To say therefore, the health problems caused to children labourers in the long run translate into a less healthy life and hence less productive adult labour force, which thus impact negatively even on the society and national development.[31]
More so, street hawking does not only endanger the lives of the hawkers, but also the food hawked and the consumers at large. It should be noted that most of the food items hawked are contaminated from indiscriminate exposure of such food items to air, dust, flies and dirt.[32] Besides, some of these children hawking in the street spend most of their time outside the home in a bid to sell their items. They do not only hawk during the early mornings but at night and during harsh weather conditions. Some of the hawkers are welcomed home with battering by their parents or caretakers when they could not make profit from their items or when they could not finish selling their items.[33]
Noteworthy, is the fact that children hawkers also encounter problems related to their psychological wellbeing. These include stigmatization by the peer group and public, feelings of depression, stress and irritability, personality disorders, anti-social behaviours, alienation, and isolation from their family. There are negative effects on education and overall human capital formation. These children hawkers tend to keep bad company and are negatively pressured to engage in delinquent behaviours. The common trend emerging from the synthesis of literature is that street hawking has detrimental effects for children’s health, social and educational well-being.[34]
In addition, oral informants confirmed that some of the children hawkers ended up becoming “street children or children of the street” this is because, some of them ran away from their parents or guardians because of physical and emotional abuse, leaving them to eke out a living on their own through delinquent behaviour which include; extortion of motorists, and participation in harmful vices such as armed robbery resulting to their arrest by the police and confinement in juvenile homes.[35]
Government Policy on Education and Street Hawking Among School Age Children
The Federal Government in collaboration with the State Government have a policy of free education especially the Universal Basic Education[36] of nine years. By the Basic Universal Education Act, 2004, all children are expected to have compulsory and free basic education up to the Junior Secondary School level. Thus, government owned schools do not charge tuition fees; regrettably, this study discovered that there are other school charges such ad Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) Development levy, Craft (which has largely been monetized), Examination Fees, and buying of other school items have affected the children’s schooling since the socio-economic situation of their parents could not afford their payment.
The views of the children interviewed clearly indicate that they want government to make school free and items such as school uniform, books and other learning materials be provided for them without any need for their parents to buy school items. In addition, the government is enjoined to provide jobs for their parents so that they can afford to take care of them through provision of food and shelter. Some children were of the view that government should build skill acquisition centres so that they can acquire necessary skills in order to achieve their dreams of becoming professionals in their chosen fields.
The Government policy of free education is not enough to turn around the narrative of out of school children and street hawking school age children as long as the structure to enforce the other provisions of the Act are not put in place. In part one of the Act, it is clearly stated that it is the duty of a parent to ensure the education of his child, and the Magistrate courts to have jurisdiction over certain offences related to violation of the Act. Hence, it is apt to state that as much as the Act is important to the realization of free and compulsory basic education in Nigeria, its implementation is of more importance. The government should therefore put up an Education Task Force to monitor compliance of the people with the Act.
Conclusion
This article discusses socio-economic impact of street hawking among school age children in Itobe. From the foregoing it can be seen that parents or guardians have a great impact on the possibility of children hawking in the streets. Separation of parents or divorce, death or child fostering can disorganize the structure and functioning of the family. When family structure is disorganized the family members are equally disorganized. Under this circumstance, children usually suffer the consequences more than the adults in the family. It was discovered in this study that many children became hawkers because the structures of their families have been disorganized socially and economically. Hawking will eventually be considered as a way out from the life difficulties. However, the adverse effects of hawking are more severe than the previous predicaments of these children. The study shows that street hawking has negative impact on the children’s education in the area, and consequently will hinder the economic and human capital development prospects of the town. In addition, there are physical and health consequences of street hawking on children which does not only affect their development but the society at large. The paper submits that, in as much as children can learn to be productive early in life by learning business skills among others, the hawking activities should be balanced in such a way that the children involved are able to acquire at least basic education. Besides, government should intervene in providing employment opportunities for the unemployed and other empowerment services or schemes to take many of the people out of poverty. The government should improve access to quality education for its citizens. Educated citizens will be well informed and socially responsible.
[1] International Labour Organization International Labour Standards on Child Labour, https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/subjects-covered-by-international-labour-standards/child-labour/lang–en/index.htm
[2]Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), was is a fundamental convention that sets the general minimum age for admission to employment or work at 15 years (13 for light work) and the minimum age for hazardous work at 18 (16 under certain strict conditions). It provides for the possibility of initially setting the general minimum age at 14 (12 for light work) where the economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed.
[3]Worst forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), which is a fundamental convention that defines a “child” as a person under 18 years of age. It requires ratifying states to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; using children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs; and work which is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. The convention requires ratifying states to provide the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. It also requires states to ensure access to free basic education and, wherever possible and appropriate, vocational training for children removed from the worst forms of child labour.
[4] Interview with Ajuma Ogu, c.15, Hawker, Itobe, 24th May, 2020
[5] Interview with Cecelia Egbunu, c.31, Retailer, Itobe, 22nd May, 2020.
[6] Interview with Ajuma Ogu, c.15, Hawker, Itobe, 24th May, 2020
[7] Interview with Ajuma Ogu, c.15, Hawker, Itobe, 24th May, 2020.
[8] Interview with Aisha Bello, c.36, Trader, Itobe, 22nd May, 2020.
[9] Interview with Cecelia Egbunu, c.31, Retailer, Itobe, 22nd May, 2020.
[10] Interview with Idris Attah, c.42, Driver, Itobe, 24th May, 2020.
[11] Interview with Idris Attah, c.42, Driver, Itobe, 24th May, 2020.
[12] Interview with Hadiza Shaibu, c.41, Trader, Itobe, 26th May, 2020.
[13] Interview with Hadiza Shaibu, c.41, Trader, Itobe, 26th May, 2020.
[14] Interview with Hadiza Shaibu, c.41, Trader, Itobe, 26th May, 2020
[15] Interview with Sara Adams, c.12, Hawker, Itobe, 20th May, 2020.
[16] Interview with Precious Adaji, c.13, Hawker, Itobe, 20th May, 2020.
[17] Interview with Abdul Onu, c.10, Hawker, Itobe, 20th May, 2020.
[18] Interview with Adejo Ida, c.36, Teacher, Itobe, 19th May, 2020.
[19] Interview with Waliat Ibrahim, c.11, Hawker, Itobe 20th May, 2020.
[20] Interview with Hauwa Usman, c.13, Hawker, Itobe, 12th April, 2020.
[21] Interview with Lydia Igah, c.12, Hawker, Itobe, 20th May, 2020.
[22] B. O. Ogundele, “Education for Street children in Kogi: The Role of the Indigenous Society. Prepared for UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning”, Daily Trust Newspaper of September 10, 2008. www.dailytimengr.com. Accessed on 20th May, 2020.
[23] Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the United Nations Development Agenda for 2030. It has Goal 4 focused on Quality Education for All
[24] The concrete operational stage is the third stage in Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. This period spans the time of middle childhood—it begins around age 7 and continues until approximately age 11, and it is characterized by the development of logical thought.
[25] B. O. Ogundele, “Education for Street Children in Kogi: The Role of the Indigenous Society. Prepared for UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning”, Daily Trust Newspaper of September 10, 2008. www.dailytimengr.com. Accessed on 20th May, 2020.
[26] Interview with Adejo Ida, c.36, Teacher, Itobe, 19th May, 2020.
[27] R. Galli, “The Economic Impact of Child Labour: Discussion Papers. The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS)”, 2001. Pdfs.semanticscholar.org. Accessed on 14th June, 2020.
[28] P.I. Mfrekemfon and U.R. Ebirien, “Child Labour: A Public Health Problem in Nigeria”, IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science, Vol.4, 2015, No. 3, pp.18-28.
[29] Interview with Safiya Usman, c.46, Nurse, Lokoja, 28th April, 2020.
[30] O.E. Johnson and C.A. Ihesie, “Health Problems of Child Hawkers in Uyo, South-South Nigeria”, Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Vol.6, 2015, No.5, pp.92-104.
[31] O.E. Johnson and C.A. Ihesie, “Health Problems of Child Hawkers in Uyo, South-South Nigeria”, Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Vol.6, 2015, No.5, pp.92-104.
[32] P.I. Mfrekemfon and U.R. Ebirien, “Child Labour: A Public Health Problem in Nigeria”, IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science, Vol.4, 2015, No. 3, pp.18-28.
[33] M.O.D. Ojo, “A Sociological Investigation of Determinant Factors and Effects of Child Street Hawking in Nigeria: Agege, Lagos State, Under Survey”, International Journal of Asian Social Science, Vol.3, 2013, No.1, pp.105-118.
[34] M.O.D. Ojo, “A Sociological Investigation of Determinant Factors and Effects of Child Street Hawking in Nigeria: Agege, Lagos State, Under Survey”, International Journal of Asian Social Science, Vol.3, 2013, No.1, pp.105-118.
[35] Interview with Adejo Ida, c.36, Teacher, Itobe, 19th May, 2020.
Comments
- The strength of the paper lies in the quality of oral data gathered from the field.
- On the flip side the author use of language and power of analysis is weak.
- Where is the role of government in stopping street hawking and enforcement of compulsory education for children of school age? Your paper should be able to capture this. You should tell us if the government has carried out its roles effectively or not.
- For the paper to be publishable the author should revise the paper thoroughly in line with the comments stated in the paper.
[36] Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004