Nothing Scares Us Again, We Usually Have Many Of Us Here Every Day So, We Will Go Home Together-Child Hawker

According to a report by the Punch on Saturday, March 14, 2026, across major parts of Lagos, the sight of children selling goods late into the night has become increasingly common, raising concerns about the safety and welfare of minors who should ordinarily be in school or at home. Despite existing laws prohibiting child labour and street hawking, many underage traders continue to operate on busy roads in order to support their families.

One of such locations is the bustling Iyana-Ipaja market in Alimosho Local Government Area, where heavy evening traffic creates an opportunity for young traders to move between vehicles and pedestrians offering fruits, drinks and other small items for sale.

Between 7 pm and 9:30 pm, the area becomes crowded with commuters returning home from work, roadside vendors shouting prices and vehicles slowly navigating through the congested roundabout. Amid the activity, groups of children carrying small buckets filled with oranges and vegetables approach motorists and pedestrians in hopes of making quick sales.

Among them are three siblings—12-year-old Success, her younger brother Daniel, aged nine, and their six-year-old brother Solomon—alongside their 13-year-old friend Goodness. After returning from school and eating their evening meal, the children head out to the roadside to sell oranges until late at night.

Success explained that she began hawking at the age of nine alongside her mother. With their mother currently nursing a newborn baby at home, the children now handle much of the evening trading themselves in order to help support the household.

Goodness also started hawking at the same age. According to her, their mother buys fruits in the morning and leaves the children to sell them in the evening hours when traffic and pedestrian movement are heavier.

The time they return home largely depends on how quickly the goods are sold. Sometimes the children remain on the streets until late at night in an effort to finish selling the fruits before they spoil.

Despite the risks associated with selling on busy roads after dark, the children say they have grown accustomed to the routine and rarely feel afraid.

“Nothing scares us again. We usually have many of us here every day. So, we will go home together,” Daniel said.

However, incidents of violence occasionally disrupt their trading activities. The children recalled a recent clash between local street thugs in the area which forced them to run for safety as broken bottles and debris scattered across the road.

Beyond the physical dangers, the young traders also face financial pressure. Like many other informal vendors operating in the market, they are required to pay a daily ticket fee of about N200 to local collectors. Failure to pay can result in their goods being seized temporarily until the money is provided.

Despite these challenges, the children admit they do not enjoy hawking but feel compelled to do so because their families depend on the income generated from their sales.

Street trading by minors remains illegal under several laws in Lagos. The Lagos State Child Rights Law prohibits the exploitation of children through labour and specifically bans the use of minors for hawking or begging on the streets.

Similarly, the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law enacted in 2003 outlaws trading on roads and highways, prescribing fines and possible jail terms for offenders.

Over the years, successive administrations have attempted to enforce the ban, including during the tenure of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode. More recently, the government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed a zero-tolerance stance against street trading and related activities.

Officials from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps have been tasked with removing illegal traders from public roads and walkways as part of efforts to improve safety and environmental order.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the government remains committed to protecting vulnerable children and removing them from the streets.

According to him, authorities are working to rehabilitate street beggars and child traders by providing access to education and other forms of support.

However, experts say the persistence of child hawking reflects deeper social and economic problems. Child rights advocates warn that children who trade on the streets face exposure to traffic accidents, exploitation, sexual abuse and recruitment into criminal activities.

They also note that night hawking can negatively affect children’s education, as many return home late and struggle with fatigue and poor concentration in school.National News…