With the current state of the Nigerian economy, some beggars in Lagos State narrate how the rising cost of living has affected their livelihood, UTHMAN SALAMI writes
As many Nigerians lament the incessant price increase of necessities and other commodities, others who are more vulnerable—those who are unable to work but primarily rely on begging—are suffering much more in these difficult times.
With the inflation rate rising from 28.92 per cent in December to 29.90 per cent in January 2024, more Nigerians are finding it difficult to feed themselves. In the first month of 2024, the annual food inflation rate shot up to 35.41 per cent.
Nigerians in Niger, Kano, Kogi, Ondo, and other states have staged rallies in response to the exorbitant cost of essentials, calling for an end to the intolerable situation.
Leading the charge is the Nigerian Labour Congress, which in light of the country’s present currency value, is seeking N1m as the new minimum wage for workers.
If the labour union, being a workforce, is demanding such an amount as the minimum wage, public affairs analysts wonder what will become of the fate of those who cannot work, including beggars and the physically challenged.
Being in the same economic environment, analysts believe the effects of the current state of the economy in the country will naturally trickle down to the people frequently described as the vulnerable, persons with disabilities and the destitute.
To gauge the effect of the state of the economy on the less-privileged, this correspondent visited a destitute home in Oko-Baba in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State on Saturday, where members of the community said their once-source of livelihood had been stifled by the recent high cost of living.
They bemoaned what the entire country is going through; stressing that it is taking its toll on those who rely heavily on givers for a living, especially those who are physically challenged.
Although begging is believed to be for the disadvantaged in society, this correspondent observed that children and even able-bodied people had joined the fray, waiting patiently under a tent within the compound that houses the destitute to beg for offerings.
When, this correspondent approached one of them Adamu Adamu, on Saturday, said the patronage they enjoyed in the past had drastically reduced, suspecting that the declined patronage stemmed from the current economic hardship Nigeria was facing as a whole.
He said, “What we used to receive from the people has reduced. Before people come to this community, there will be a lot of food items, such as cooked rice and others. But now only a few people still come with that. And when they bring these items, they are not even enough to go around. You see several people fighting over 10 packs of cooked rice. I think it is because things have become expensive; that’s why people have stopped coming.”
On the contrary, a female beggar identified simply as Adetoun said she resorted to begging when her income could no longer cater for her feeding and other needs. She said that even though what she earned had not been reduced, the money could no longer be used to purchase goods in the market because of the high cost.
Adetoun lamented, “The price of things has become so expensive. A cup of rice that was sold for N40 in the past is now N300. I am a casual worker at a private transport park in Yaba. I earn N25,000 per month. How can I survive with that money?
“I spend almost N12,000 on transport every month. This means I will only be left with N15,000. Things are no longer the way they used to be. I only eat once a day to have enough savings. People still give alms since I joined them here (the destitute home), especially on weekends and Fridays. The problem is that what we collect can only get a few things at the market.”
A physically challenged beggar, Ibrahim Musa, who told this correspondent that he was born in Kano, said he still received enough goodwill and alms from givers but maintained that what he received no longer had value in the market.
Musa said, “I don’t stay in one place. Sometimes I go to Agege, Berger, and Iyana-Ipaja to beg for alms. I cannot say whether what people give other beggars has reduced because I still earn what I used to earn. The money I received here is used for my schooling. I attend an Islamiyyah school in Kano.
“The only difference I see is that things have become very expensive. Before, I used to spend N500 to buy a plate of rice with two pieces of meat. But now, two scoops of cooked rice are N500. So we still receive alms. Just what we get is no longer enough to get things on the market.”
On her part, an elderly woman identified simply as Iya Abiba lamented the current situation of beggars in the country and urged the government to help local farmers so that food prices could go down.
She said, “Our prayer is that God may make all these prices reduced. It is affecting everyone. The government should make things easy for people. The fuel price is high. If the price of fuel comes down, everything else will follow. The government should support the farmers by giving them money. If they have enough support, they will produce cassava flour, wheat, and all. If things become easy and prices of goods become lower, those of us who are begging on the street will reduce.
“As you can see, our numbers are increasing daily. If we have money and the prices of goods become reasonable, you will see that many of us will abandon this begging. Nobody wishes to be a beggar; it is the economic circumstances that throw most of us here. If we have enough money to take care of our children and have enough to save for later, our problem is solved.
“If you go to Oshodi Market to buy clothes, you will know that a lot of things have gone wrong in this country. But if the government finds a solution to this hardship, how many clothes do we need? If we take N400 to buy cooked rice from that woman selling rice, we will finish it at a seat. We won’t even know we have eaten.”
One of the coordinators of the destitute home in Oko-Baba identified simply as Issa, who is also a beggar, said patronage had drastically reduced, and that they only manage to share the little they receive.
Issa explained, “I am one of the workers here. We have three groups here. We have blinds, cripples, and lepers. Each of these groups is seated inside one tent, including men and women so that when people give us things, we will be able to share them equally.
“And people are also allowed to come in and share whatever they bring, choosing any of the three tents. The number of people who used to come has decreased. It is not like before. We are only managing the little we receive these days. And we also frequently advise members of this community to manage and appreciate what we receive.”
A social entrepreneur and public affairs analyst, Yomi Oke-Asiwaju, dismissed some of the claims made by the beggars, saying that the vulnerable remained the greatest beneficiaries of several interventions by different non-governmental organisations in Nigeria and outside the country.
He, however, noted that some of their challenges would be solved the moment the economy stabilised.
Oke-Asiwaju stated, “The less-privileged appear to be the beneficiaries of most philanthropic gestures in recent times. The government will say palliative care is for the vulnerable, the poorest of the poorest. Humanitarian clubs and associations such as Lions Club International and the Rotary Club are equally targeting this set of people for their various interventions. The same thing applies to many NGOs. They are all reaching out to the less- privileged.”
But the Chief Executive of 360 Growth Initiative, a non-governmental organisation that prioritizes the provision of qualitative education to the less privileged, Omolade Gbemisola, said the government should target those people who needed the intervention rather than those with political affiliations.
She said, “Our NGOs do not only focus on giving food items to the less privileged; we prioritize quality education. We talk to them and provide educational materials. The government needs to provide palliative measures for the less privileged.
“And concerning these palliatives, I have not seen any palliatives being given out. The government should try its best to reach out to those in need in these trying times. They can also afford to reduce the prices of expensive commodities so that people can afford them.
“For now, I will say the government should attend to the needs of those who are really in need. They should do this urgently. They can do this by partnering with NGOs that specialise in helping the destitute. They can also partner with the youth.”
