STREET CHILDREN PHENOMENON: IMPLICATION FOR NIGERIA SOCIETY

Abstract

The street children phenomenon is a global issue, and it constitutes a social problem. No country in the world is exempted from the challenges of this phenomenon. Scholars have rightly noted that poverty among other factors, is the root cause of the street children phenomenon. Some of the other major factors include the maladministration of governments, the carefree attitudes of families and the communities. African tradition sees the child as the centre of the family, clan and community. This is expressed in the sayings: ‘The child is the father of the man', 'the child makes the family', and 'the child is everyone's child. But unfortunately, the big African conglomeration is experiencing the fading of this vision of childhood as it appears that children are becoming burdens for some families, or seen as charges too expensive to maintain, or challenges too difficult to curb. Thus, street children phenomenon as an expression and extension of poverty in families and societies has become a social problem that has posed a big challenge to the world. This research focuses on: (1) the street children of Nigeria and their experiences. (2) Some studies on the southern and northern parts of Nigeria is used to represent the phenomenon in the country. (3) It looks into the effects of the street on children, and its aftermath on society. (4) The research concludes by proffering some possible solutions.