Adetunji Oluwafemi
Over the years, street and motor-park hawking has become an integral part of many urban areas like Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Akure amongst other states in South-West Nigeria. Street and motor-parks vending isn’t limited to any state in Nigeria. Underage street vendors sell their goods on the highways, most especially inter-state highways linking two or more states together.
Shocking and amazing story however is that, the out-of-school students (including children below the age of 18) who engaged in this act had significantly increased as most of the vendors seen on the highways and motor-parks are little children irrespective of age, race and gender
Generally speaking, poverty, lack of financial support, parental background, poor government/economic system, amongst others are the prime factors forcing out-of-school students, mostly underage, into joining the trends. Some students who do engage in this act while school activities are still ongoing often miss some class lessons, skills acquisition and socialization which limit their future prospects.
Aside from the above, many of these children are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. One major risk notable in street vending is exposure to air and noise pollution which may harm the vendor’s physical and mental well-being. Some even get hit or killed by moving vehicles on the highways.
Despite the huge risk factor, street/motor-parks vending by underage or out-of-school students is a prevalent issue in Nigeria which requires urgent attention. Though a common premise for engaging in this is to support selves and families.
In our interactions with some of these underage hawkers Ife-Ibadan expressway on Friday 23rd August, 2024, .Okunola James, a student of Bishop Phillips Academy Iwo Road Ibadan who sells Cheese Ball and Gala along Ife-Ibadan express way told our reporter the reason why he joined the trend “I wasn’t hustling for money but rather to sponsor my education,
Underage street hawkers along Ife-Ibadan road (photo credit: Adetunji Oluwafemi)
I joined the trend primarily because we are currently on vacation, and I wanted to hustle for my 2024/25 West Africa Certificate Examination fee”. James further shared “I planned to purchase important textbooks and other stationary for myself in preparation towards the examination. Street vending is the only available business I think of to get these done”.
Another street hawker, Abdullahi, who said he desires to study Civil Engineering says, but because of funds, he started hawking in 2021 after the completion of his secondary school education in the hope of raising capital for his ambition. Meanwhile Abdullahi said his savings, joined with his mother who is hawking, had only his two other siblings graduated from secondary school.
Asking him about why he never pursued his degree in Civil Engineering since he claimed to have graduated from the secondary school in 2021, he said “Money was the prime factor as his mother was incapacitated due to the death of his father. The ice cream we sell daily are purchased from suppliers. The little revenue on top belongs to us”. This was not even enough to feed well but we kept managing. “I can only hope for external help as things currently stand” Abdullahi lamented.
Madam Olawumi, a fruit seller whose children are still in secondary school while speaking with us says, “My three children are also here hustling together with me, we are selling the same items. We’re doing this together because we have no other choice”. This is better than begging alms around the street or engaging in illegal business. As she added
“While I value education personally, we (my children and I) all need to engage in this as a survival mechanism. I do not want them to lack basic school items when the resume next month” Madam Olawunwi shared
Another child hawker, who does not to be named because of shame, said “Some people do see us as rascals or children with no future, but I can say categorically that many of us here are driven by different goals which may surprise many if we share with them”. People should note some of us are ambitious but we often lack financial support which has forced many into the street and sometimes given up on their dreams”. She concluded.
Street hawking for underage children is seen as an abuse of their rights. It is also considered child labour as against the view of the actors.
#Adetunji Oluwafemi is a campus and freelance journalist
