The Street Begging Ban in Abuja: Reflecting Nigeria's Socioeconomic Struggles
Nov 1, 2024 ·
43m 27s
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Description
On Monday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made good on his recent threat to clampdown on street beggars in Abuja. The crackdown led to the arrest...
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On Monday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made good on his recent threat to clampdown on street beggars in Abuja.
The crackdown led to the arrest of 34 street beggars and scavengers.
Monday's move followed his initial announcement few days ago, where he stated his intention to sanitize the capital city by removing beggars and informal waste collectors. Wike cited security concerns, public order, and the overall image of Abuja as motivations for the operation.
This clampdown, however, isn’t entirely new. Past FCT Ministers had similarly attempted to tackle street begging, aiming to align Abuja with the aesthetics and security expectations of a capital city.
The challenge of street begging is not limited to Abuja. Like the FCT, different states have faced similar situations, with respective governments occasionally employing stringent measures to manage the growing numbers of street beggars.
The question then arises: why does street begging remain despite these efforts?
Will Wike’s approach serve to ‘beautify’ and secure Abuja, or does it signal a need for more holistic solutions to address this social issue?
Here, we shine the spotlight on the move by the FCT administration to address the challenge posed by street begging.
Is the crackdown by the minister a productive step towards public safety and order, or a temporary fix to a much deeper socioeconomic challenge not just in Abuja but throughout the federation?
show less
The crackdown led to the arrest of 34 street beggars and scavengers.
Monday's move followed his initial announcement few days ago, where he stated his intention to sanitize the capital city by removing beggars and informal waste collectors. Wike cited security concerns, public order, and the overall image of Abuja as motivations for the operation.
This clampdown, however, isn’t entirely new. Past FCT Ministers had similarly attempted to tackle street begging, aiming to align Abuja with the aesthetics and security expectations of a capital city.
The challenge of street begging is not limited to Abuja. Like the FCT, different states have faced similar situations, with respective governments occasionally employing stringent measures to manage the growing numbers of street beggars.
The question then arises: why does street begging remain despite these efforts?
Will Wike’s approach serve to ‘beautify’ and secure Abuja, or does it signal a need for more holistic solutions to address this social issue?
Here, we shine the spotlight on the move by the FCT administration to address the challenge posed by street begging.
Is the crackdown by the minister a productive step towards public safety and order, or a temporary fix to a much deeper socioeconomic challenge not just in Abuja but throughout the federation?
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| Author | Njideka Maduka |
| Organization | NJ |
| Website | - |
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