It's a common knowledge that the economic is hard and there is prevalent Unemployment especially in the northern part of Nigeria. For these reasons and others, has make begging a normal way of life in the north.
Begging in this part of the country start as early as age five (5) among the male children. Its start as a result of the fathers sending their children to go to Islamic schools (islamia) under the care of the teachers called Mallams, without making provision for their welfare and feeding. The teachers who have limited resources to Carter for these children have no option but to send them for begging to be able to Carter for their feeding and other necessities. These act of begging continue till they becomes adult. It is from this begging that some gradually indulge in stealing and other vices. You see these children holding plate every morning and evening at people's door post begging for food. Some go to motor parks and junctions asking people for money.
The above is one form of begging. Another set of begging in the north is among adults. These ones seems to be professional beggars, every morning they go gather at the house of emir or wealthy person singing and asking for money. They jump from one house of the wealthy to another asking for money. These one are professionals. They will always have a reason to come back to your house every time, it could be to thank you the money you gave them the last time thereby singing praises to you and asking for another money.
Another set of people who begs in the northern part of Nigeria are those who are physically deficient. It could be the blind, cribbed or some part of their body is amputated. These ones go about with a child or another person holding them and guiding their path. I some times wonder whether they have relatives at all. They walk around the streets and traffic begging for arms. These ones are truly in need of help, but since the government and their relatives have abandoned them, they result to begging.
This last set of beggars that I will be talking about annoys me a lot. These one are always around the motor parks or a strategy areas in the guise that, they are stranded looking for transport fare, or some cook up stories that arm robbers attacked them and collected all that was on them. So they begin to beg using those stories. You will see them at every park with one story or the other.
My area, which is in the north harbours a lot of beggars. If the government do not do anything about this begging habit, am seeing in the nearest future beggars everywhere around the streets. Has hardship and unemployment is increasing almost everyday.