The Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Activities of Street Children in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Streetism is a growing problem in most African cities, a problematic situation affecting our society. The first step is to identify these children and understand their street activities. Method: This study investigated the street children in Maiduguri aged 6-14 years. It was a cross-sectional and descriptive community-based study, aimed at assessing the socio-demographic characteristics of these children and examining their activities in the streets. Result: Ninety-four percent male; with a male-to-female ratio of 16:1 indicating male preponderance. The mean age was 10.6 ± 2.36 years. Sixty percent of all children were Almajiris, while 22% attended formal education. The remaining 18% were out of school. Their activities on the streets ranged from begging for food to eat, working in restaurants, selling sachet water, and lifting goods for adults. The majority, 31%, had lost contact with family members for a long time. Parental education was strongly linked with child status on the streets. Ninety-six percent of the Almajiris were from parents who had no formal education and were primarily traders. There was a significant relationship between parents’ educational status and the child’s street status, χ2 =220, df 8, N =231, and a p-value of 0.001. Conclusion: This highlights the need for urgent action to ensure that every child has access to education, regardless of their socio-economic background.