Lagos assembly advances bill to ban street begging

Abimbola Joseph

The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed for second reading a bill seeking to prohibit street begging across the state, with lawmakers advocating rehabilitation, vocational training and social support for those affected.

The proposed legislation, debated on Wednesday, is aimed at addressing the growing challenge of street begging, which lawmakers said poses a threat to public safety, environmental sanitation and the image of Lagos State.

According to the House, the bill seeks to curb street begging while ensuring that vulnerable persons, particularly children, are rehabilitated rather than merely punished.

“This initiative emanated due to the increasing prevalence of street begging, which is described as a social challenge that has persisted for years and now poses a threat to public safety, environmental sanitation, and the image of Lagos State,” the lawmakers said.

Contributing to the debate, Desmond Elliot stressed the need for a compassionate approach, particularly towards children living on the streets.

He urged the government to remove vulnerable children from the streets, provide them with adequate care and rehabilitation, and ensure that relevant state agencies effectively discharged their responsibilities.

Aro Moshood, representing Ikorodu Constituency II, called for a thorough review of the bill’s provisions to prevent misinterpretation or abuse by law enforcement agencies during implementation.

Also speaking, Bonu Solomon, representing Badagry Constituency I, observed that many street beggars in Lagos were not indigenes of the state.

He recommended that the proposed law should not only penalise those who encourage begging through indiscriminate giving but should also provide for the arrest of adult beggars engaged in the practice.

The Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, described the bill as a timely intervention to address the growing problem.

He advocated relocating beggars from the streets to rehabilitation centres where they could receive correctional, vocational and social support.

Adams cited Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Anambra, Abia states and the Federal Capital Territory as examples of jurisdictions that have adopted similar measures.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said charitable donations should be channelled through structured government platforms while genuine beggars should be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

He subsequently referred the bill to the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development for further legislative work, directing it to report back within two weeks.

The House later adjourned sine die.