Lack of clear policy to regulate street vending in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has led to the proliferation of hawkers, most of whom are children from poor backgrounds.
They sell food and non-food items in the markets and other populated areas.
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Although, vendors provide some needed services to the people, street hawking poses a threat to the health and lives of millions of young people, one parent said adding, in some instances, hawking is said to have exposed children to substance abuse, sexual abuse and malnourishment.
For Aisha, 15, the day starts at 7pm when she is already at Baga Park Market, along Baga Road in Maiduguri where she sells sachet water until 5pm daily.
She makes a profit of just N30 from selling a bag of sachet water containing 20 sachets.
She said she sells a maximum of eight bags on a good day.
“I start selling water in the market and along the road in the morning and return home at 5pm.
“The water is refrigerated especially when the weather is hot.
“The retail price for a bag is N100 but we buy each bag at N70 from the dealers; we assemble the water on trays and hit the streets.”
Aisha said hawkers made brisk business when the weather is hot because people tended to drink a lot of cold water to rehydrate.
She said, “I sell between seven and eight bags when things are going well but I return home tired though I feel contented.”
When asked if she was aware of the risk involved in street vending such traffic accidents, she said she was mindful of the hazards in the business but she had no option; besides, “I want to help my poor parents.”
According to her, she was introduced to the business by her friend who started hawking at 10 years of age.
She said there are many children her age selling things on the streets.
One of the water dealers along Baga Road, who also begins his daily routine early in morning said, “We sell each bag to the hawkers at wholesale price because they are our ‘loyal’ customers but other consumers buy a bag at N100.”
Meanwhile, a local government official in Maiduguri said child street hawking was exploitative and against international laws but that most local councils did not have clear policies on street hawking while others seemed reluctant to apply them.
“It is better for kids to have legitimate means of livelihood than join the bad eggs.”
In the interim, the UN convention on the rights of the child which Nigeria is a signatory says “Childhood is separate from adulthood, and lasts until 18; it is a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity.”
Closely related to the sachet water hawkers, are boys between the ages of 13 and 16 who collected revenue from tricycle taxi (Keke) operators.
The boys station themselves at various road intersections to catch the attention of the tricyclists who are expected to pay N50 each to their union and the government and obtain the receipts at least before noon otherwise, they are arrested and penalised.
Modu Musa, 16, said revenue collectors received bunches of revenue receipts from ‘middlemen’ who in turn pay them based on the total money they realized in a day.
Each receipt is given to the collectors at the fixed price of N30 and they make a profit of N20 after collecting N50 from the drivers.
Musa said he makes at least N700 per day from revenue collection and spent the money on things “to improve my life.”
The underage revenue collectors give two types of receipts which each Keke driver is expected to have per day.
“We buy two receipts from the boys, each for N50; if you are found driving after midday without evidence of payment by the union, you will be made to pay a fine,” one driver explained.
