Specifically, Rabiu, a five-year-old boy in the North East was sent away from home as an Almajiri boy to struggle for survival in the city – with minimal chances of the parents knowing how to locate or visit him in the future. It is my theory that this practice which is a uniquely West African – largely northern Nigerian problem, is due to economic deprivation.
So young male children are sent away from home as Almajiris, and young female children are married off early – all purportedly under culturally and religiously inclined reasons; whose ultimate goal is the net reduction in the numbers of mouths to feed in the household. This partly explains why these practices are extremely rare among the rich, whose children are likely to get a good education, remain in school and receive personal religious instructions in more conducive settings….rather than as vulnerable street children.
Similarly, in southwestern Nigeria, 10-year-old Ola and his siblings, whose parents were divorced were sent away to live with different relatives, partly for economic reasons and the absence of a stable and protective family background. Thus depriving him and his siblings of education and exposing them to child abuse – until he eventually ended up as a street urchin.
In the South East, Emeka was withdrawn from school by his father, who considered education a waste of time and money, to go and live in Lagos and learn business skills. He was also separated from his family and his comfort zone and sent far away to live with strangers and denied access to education.
The concluding part of the article focused on the adverse consequences of not investing in our children and youth as a critical resource for national development. These children suffer malnutrition and other harsh socioeconomic deprivation that negatively restricts their ability to thrive, attain emotional wellbeing and achieve their true potential. What should we be doing differently to address these challenges?
Invest and prioritize basic quality education: Education and good stimulation for children enhances brain development, improves their ability to attain their potential and equips them with the requisite skills to contribute meaningfully to national development and economic prosperity.
Our population can be an asset if we invest in improving the quality of individual citizens through education. School attendance rates should go up and drop-out rates should decline. Girl child education must be supported. Asian countries that place a premium on education and pay teachers very highly include Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong. Any surprises that these countries are top performers?
Economic empowerment: The majority of the decisions, as illustrated by the stories of three children from different parts of the country who became exposed to deprivation and potential abuse, stemmed from economic considerations and poverty. Lifting the economy and empowering the citizens and reducing poverty will go a long way towards reducing these practices. A social welfare programme is critical to protect against humiliating poverty and lack of access to basic needs – such as food and shelter
Invest in health care: A healthy child and a healthy nation will be a prosperous one. The government and indeed, every community needs to focus on hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and on various spheres of health care – promotion, prevention as well as early detection and prompt interventions. Good nutrition for children is a health intervention that stimulates brain development. In this regard, the school feeding programme is a laudable initiative of the government that needs to be scaled up and universally applied. Our pitiful annual health budgets and neglect of health care at national and state levels remain a huge source of concern.
Maternal and child health is a critical aspect of health with far-reaching consequences. Poor antenatal care results in unacceptably high death rates of women during pregnancy or childbirth. Without a mother, the children are immediately at risk of deprivation. Furthermore, babies may suffer some brain damage due to poor antenatal practices, resulting in lifelong consequences such as epilepsy, reduced IQ or intellectual disability, and increased risk of mental disorders in the children.
Community mobilization and awareness campaigns: Public enlightenment campaigns that are culturally appropriate should be intensified. These should aim to influence a change in culturally rooted but adverse practices that expose children and adolescents to deprivation and risk of abuse.
In conclusion, the relationship between childhood deprivation and inter-generational poverty is clear. Investment in the basics of nutrition, quality education, good hygiene and economic empowerment are critical ingredients for national development and economic prosperity.
and then