EFFECT OF STREET HAWKING ON SCHOOL CHILDREN AND ITS IMPACT FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world with an estimated population of about 140 million people (2006, Census), is endowed with abundant human and natural resources like oil, tin, limestone, zinc, natural gas, good vegetation  and climate which varies from being equatorial in the South, tropical in the centre and arid in the north. This great country, 3rd world largest producer of crude oil has about 5.3% annual growth rate but it is estimated that 70% of Nigerians live in poverty (Tola, 2008).

The above features are legacies of decades of prolonged military rules coupled with mis-management and corruption, which have daily impoverished the people and made them “beggers” of a sort amidst plenty. This act of misrule has increased anti-social behaviour amongst the populace. Sadly, the quest for material wealth at all cost has introduced a new dimension of wealth creation into the psyche of Nigerians-which  is street hawking.

Street hawking is the third largest criminal activity in the world after arms and drug trafficking (Tola, 2008). In the last decade, the phenomenon of street hawking has considerably increased throughout the world and most especially in Nigeria. Every year, million of individuals, mostly female are misled by decot or forced to submit to servitude.

The UN convention Against Transnational orgainsed crime (2000) defined street hawking as follows; “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, of abuse of power, giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation” “exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs”

ANPPCAN (2010) sees street hawking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, habouring or receipt of female by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments, benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over the child for the pupose of exploitation.

Research evidence shows that female are trafficked for the purpose of domestic services, prostitution and other forms of exploitative labour (UNICEF, 2007). These has been  a serious concern about the cause of street hawking in Africa as a whole and Nigeria as a country in particular.

UNICEF (2007) has identified poverty, large family size, rapid urbanization among others as the major factor why many Nigeria female are vulnerable to trafficking. Parents with large family are often prone to those traffickers deceit in giving away some of their female to city residents or even strangers promising a better life for them. Trafficking deprives child victims the privilege to exercise their wide range of rights, including the right to belong and identify, the right to freedom, education among others. ANPPCAN(2010).

As a result of this, the study on the causes, effects and remedies of street hawking in Nigeria is worth pursuing. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide  meaningful information as to the stoppage of the act in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Female living in rural areas in Nigeria often lack access to quality education, good health and other basic needs which make their parents to entrust them in the hands of other family members who are financially upright to help them train their female.

However, this custom has been abused by those family members or relatives because of the exposure of these female to hazardous work, prostitution and other forms of inhuman activities.

This act possess a serious challenges to the growth of the Nigerian society, economically, socially and politically.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

AIMS OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the effect of street hawking on school children and its impact for social work practice in Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To examine the causes of street hawking on children of school children.
2. To examine the prevalence of child-street hawking in Nigeria.
3. To examine the effect of street hawking on children of school age and its implication for social work practice in primary schools in Nigeria.
4. To examine the impact of social work practice on child street hawking.
5. To examine the relationship between street hawking on children of school age and its implication for social work practice in primary schools in Nigeria .

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.  What are the causes of street hawking on children of school age?
2. What is the prevalence of child-street hawking in Nigeria?
3. What is the effect of street vending on children of school age and its implication for social work practice in primary schools in Nigeria?
4. What is the impact of social work practice on child street hawking?
5. What is the relationship between street hawking on children of school age and its implication for social work practice in primary schools in Nigeria ?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be of profound benefits to enlighten the general public on the effect of street hawking on school children, and the need to avoid it. This study would also be of immense benefit to students and scholars who are interested in developing further studies on the subject matter.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to effect of street hawking on school children and its implication for social work practice in Nigeria, a case study of Lagos state.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Social work:  is a profession oriented towards helping people in need. “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people.

A street vendor:  is a person who offers goods or services for sale to the public without having a permanently built structure but with a temporary static structure or mobile stall (or head-load).