The "Almajiri begging" disaster: Addressing child labor in northern Nigeria

The SDG 8.7 aims at securing the prohibition and elimination of worst forms of child labor¹. However, Statistics have shown that there are still millions of child laborers across the world, especially in Sub- Saharan Africa². Recent data from 2024 reveals that approximately 138 million children globally were engaged in child labor, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for nearly two-thirds of all children in child labor—around 87 million children³'⁴. In the Northern part of Nigeria, street begging remains a common sight among the Almajiri children. An Almajiri child conventionally is expected to be educationally oriented in the basics of Islam by his tutor who is referred to as the "Mallam" but instead, the child is exploited and deprived of his fundamental human rights as he is continually subjected to street begging and sometimes menial jobs by his tutor⁵. Poverty, cultural practices, religious beliefs, conflicts among others are the predisposing factors to the marginalization of this group. The children have also been seen to be exposed to a plethora of health issues such as upper respiratory tract infection, psychological disorder, assault, sexual exploitation, trauma, and even death⁶. Recent studies from 2024 have documented severe malnutrition rates among Almajiri children, with prevalence rates ranging from 64% to 71.9% in various northern states, and most children eating only once or twice daily⁷. The issue of child labor in the Northern part of Nigeria can become a potential threat to the nation and the world if not addressed. Therefore, in this policy brief, immediate, short, and long-term community interventions by the Nigerian Government will be recommended as well as a policy reform on child rights and protection.