Nigerian Street Children
It is estimated that there are over 100,000 children living on the streets of Lagos in Nigeria alone, with many more living 'in' the streets, that is children who beg and steal, but have homes to return to each night. Whilst there is obvious sympathy for the events that led to them living this lifestyle, inevitably they end up extorting money from pedestrians and motorists alike. Many also end up in prisons without charge just to keep them off the streets, and without anyone to advocate for them, are further brutalised and exploited.
One boy who has been living on the streets of Lagos since he was just ten commented “I have two sisters that I have not seen in five years, I have smoked Indian hemp like other boys of my age, got beaten by bigger boys, robbed of my money, took my bath in the canal and slept under the bridge. The good thing is that I am alive!”
Children end up on the streets of the former Nigerian capital and other cities for a range of reasons, from being abandoned by parents who can't afford to keep them (over 65% of the country's population live under the poverty line and half of those live in abject poverty) to family breakdown, violence and abuse.
1.2 million children in Nigeria have lost parents due to AIDS so have to fend for themselves when wider family member's aren't prepared to commit to their care, and, more disturbingly thousands of children in Nigeria are accused of witchcraft. Those who aren't murdered after being accused find themselves expelled from the family home and have to survive on the streets.
This video explores what life is like for the street children of Nigeria.
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