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Proliferation of Street Children in Nigeria

Issues and Challenges

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, aransiola2{at}yahoo.com

Olusina Bamiwuye

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Akanni Ibukun Akinyemi

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Lanre Olusegun Ikuteyijo

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

• Summary: The study examined the implications of the Nigerian Child Right Acts, 2003 on checking the proliferation of street children in Nigeria, focusing on such government institutions as the police and Social Welfare Department using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.

• Findings: It is clear that the street children are the major targets by the government agencies but these children have no cordial relationship with the police. Their vision of the police is that of ‘punishment’ rather than ‘help’. Also, the government through the Social Welfare Department provides some assistance to street children, but their programmes were not attractive enough to the children, hence, the street children’s concept of approved schools is that of a typical ‘Nigerian prison yard‘.

• Applications : It is argued that the global paradigm shift from eradication of street children to providing support for street children has a very weak root in Nigeria. Therefore, there is the need for proper implementation of the Nigeria Child Rights Act promulgated in the year 2003, which could improve the standard of practice presently obtainable in Social Welfare Department and in other government agencies such as the Police Department as a possible solution to this social menace.

Key Words: street children • children ‘of’ the street • children ‘on’ the street • social networks support

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Journal of Social Work, Vol. 9, No. 4, 371-385 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1468017309342539


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