SPECIAL REPORT: Inside Kano’s Menacing Female Begging Culture
By Abdul Ozumi
She arrives before dawn, long before the fuel attendants complete their morning prayers. By the time engines queue at Shafa Filling Station in Kabuga, she has already taken her place. Cloaked in a black niqab,not worn as a symbol of devotion but as a veil of survival—she stands close to the road, just far enough to avoid being chased away.
In her right hand, she grips the wrist of a child barely old enough to walk; in her left, another whose ribs show through a faded dress. A third child is strapped tightly to her back. Her belly, unmistakably swollen, tells a quiet but unsettling story: she is pregnant again. She is married, neither widowed nor divorced, yet here she stands, exposed daily to heat, traffic, and humiliation, begging openly in one of Nigeria’s most famous cities.
Her children look chronically hungry. Their clothes are dirty, their faces pale, their eyes trained to follow every slowing vehicle with practised desperation. She does not shout or plead loudly. She simply raises her hand when a car pauses, accepting whatever is dropped into her palm. For commuters, she has become part of the scenery, a familiar figure whose presence no longer provokes shock. Yet her daily ritual raises a profound question: how did a married young woman, in a society that should emphasise religious discipline and family structure, end up reduced to roadside begging with her children?
She is not alone. Across Kano, the number of young women begging openly has increased noticeably. Around Barakat Mall in Rijiyah Zaki, they are easy to find, sitting in clusters with children sprawled across their laps. At Hadid Plaza, directly opposite the NNPC filling station in the same Rijiyah Zaki area, they gather daily. In the city’s motor parks, popularly called “tasha” in Hausa—young women line the edges of human traffic, some guiding barefoot children through exhaust fumes, others rocking infants while calling softly for alms. What was once an occasional sight has gradually become normalised, transforming public spaces into arenas of survival stripped of dignity.
Islam does not deny the existence of poverty, but it strongly discourages begging as a way of life. In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:273), Allah describes the deserving poor as those who are restrained and “do not ask people persistently.” Scholars often cite this verse when emphasising dignity, self-restraint, and the moral obligation of society to support the needy discreetly. Against this backdrop, the growing visibility of women begging daily in open spaces presents a moral contradiction, particularly in Kano, a city widely regarded as a stronghold of Islamic values.
The situation becomes even more troubling when viewed through the lens of cultural expectations. Kano is a society where men traditionally prefer their wives to be full-time housewives, responsible for domestic duties while financial provision rests with the husband. Yet the reality on the streets suggests a breakdown of that structure. The presence of married women begging publicly exposes cracks in family responsibility, economic support systems, and community accountability.
Behind the Outstretched Hand: Marriage, Polygamy, Divorce and Loss
When this reporter engaged several of the women, with the aid of — a pattern emerged. Many of them are married into polygamous homes where limited resources are stretched across multiple wives and children. In such households, some husbands provide irregular support or none at all, leaving women to fend for themselves. Begging, for them, becomes a coping mechanism rather than a choice.
Others are widows whose husbands, while alive, discouragedthem from pursuing education or any form of economic activity. When death came, it stripped them not only of companionship but of livelihood. With no skills, savings, or social safety net, the streets became their last option. There are also divorced women, some cast out abruptly with young children and no form of support. One woman at Rijiyah Zaki Tasha recounted how her husband divorced her over a “minor disagreement” simply because he wanted to marry another wife and needed the room she occupied. She was evicted with three children aged two, four, and six, left to survive on the streets.
A Dangerous Street for Children: Hunger, Exploitation and Trafficking
While the plight of these women elicits sympathy, the silent victims are their children. Street begging exposes children to a range of dangers that extend far beyond hunger. Constant exposure to harsh weather, exhaust fumes, and unsanitary conditions put them at serious risk of illness, malnutrition, and developmental delays. Most of them are out of school, depriving them of education and social protection.
Beyond health risks, the streets expose children to exploitation and abuse. Motor parks and busy roads are hunting grounds for traffickers and criminals who prey on vulnerability. Children accompanying begging mothers are easily monitored, manipulated, or lured away with promises of food, shelter, or work. This is not speculative. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Kano State Hisbah Board, has repeatedly arrested suspected child traffickers and rescued victims within Kano. In 2024 alone, NAPTIP reported the rescue of hundreds of victims and the arrest of traffickers linked to child exploitation and gender-based abuse in the state. Hisbah operations have also resulted in the interception of children being moved under suspicious circumstances, highlighting how street exposure creates pathways into trafficking networks.
Children raised on the streets are also at risk of recruitment into criminal gangs, forced labour, and extremist groups. For many, begging becomes the first step into a cycle of exploitation that follows them into adulthood, perpetuating intergenerational poverty and insecurity.
“Begging has no Place in Islam”
To understand the structural roots of the crisis, this reporter spoke with Hajju Babagana Kodobe, Program Manager of the Society for Women Development and Empowerment of Nigeria (SWODEN). According to her, the rise in street begging among young women is not a religious phenomenon but a product of cultural practices compounded by economic hardship. She emphasized that Islam does not endorse begging and that what is unfolding is a failure of empowerment.
Kodobe pointed to the deep educational gap affecting girls in Northern Nigeria. She explained that many girls are withdrawn from school early, sometimes before completing secondary education, to be married off. As a result, by the age of 25 or 26,when women in other regions are educated and economically independent, many women in Kano lack both Western and adequate Islamic education. With Kano recording one of the highest divorce rates in the country, such women are left extremely vulnerable when marriages collapse or husbands die.
She painted a grim picture of survival choices. According to her, women with children often resort to begging because a mother will do anything to feed her children. Those without children, she said, are sometimes driven into promiscuity, trading their bodies for food and basic necessities. She described the situation as increasingly out of control.
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Despite these challenges, Kodobe said SWODEN is engaging government and policymakers to reverse the trend. She disclosed that the Director of Youth and Sports in Kano State, Hajiya Zara, recently visited SWODEN to explore collaboration aimed at empowering women, youth, and persons with disabilities. As part of this engagement, SWODEN has been asked to develop a database of vulnerable women to guide targeted government intervention.
SWODEN has also conducted digital marketing and vocational skills training for young women. Through partnerships with Fidelity Bank, the organisation has trained women aged 18 to 25 in employable skills. It is also collaborating with the Hadiza Kwali initiative to empower women in modern farming and working with the state government under the AGILE programme to reach girls between the ages of 15 and 18 while they are still in secondary school. According to Kodobe, the goal is to “catch them young” and prevent future dependency on street begging.
International, National and State Empowerment Frameworks
The crisis unfolding on Kano’s streets contrasts sharply with global and national commitments to women’s empowerment. Internationally, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 prioritizes gender equality and economic inclusion as essential tools for poverty reduction and social stability. The UN Women Economic Empowerment Framework and initiatives such as the Spotlight Initiative and Education Plus programme emphasise education, skills acquisition, and protection from exploitation as pathways out of vulnerability.
At the national level, Nigeria has adopted policies aligned with these frameworks through agencies such as NAPTIP, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and multiple civil society organizations working on gender equality, child protection, and economic empowerment. Locally, Kano State has introduced empowerment programmes targeting women, including cash-based support schemes, skills acquisition initiatives, agricultural empowerment projects, and mass wedding schemes designed to provide social stability for widows and divorcees.
However, experts, such Dr Abdulhakeem Suleima and Professor Aliyu Usman argue that while these programmes are well-intentioned, gaps in implementation, coverage, and follow-up mean that many of the most vulnerable women never benefit. Without sustained economic empowerment, social protection, and education, street begging remains the default survival strategy for too many families.
Kano State has also introduced several women-focused programmes in recent years, with monthly financial support. A programme now provides a monthly stipend of ₦50,000 each to over 5,200 women across the state to help grow small enterprises and support family income.
Livestock empowerment scheme: A ₦2.3 billion initiative distributes goats, cows, and rams to women to foster livestock entrepreneurship and strengthen grassroots livelihoods.
In terms of partnerships for capacity-building, the state government has partnered with organisations like Bridge Connect Africa Initiative to train women in sustainable farming, clean energy technologies, and digital skills.
While Kano’s Hisbah Board has historically attempted to curb street begging — even reuniting hundreds of beggars with their families — showing the state regard enforcement as part of addressing the problem.
Religious Perspective: “Begging Is an Exception, Not a Norm”
Providing a religious lens to the growing menace of street begging among young women, the Chief Imam of Markaz Juma’at Mosque, Rijiyah Zaki, Dr. Rabiu Umar Musa, was unequivocal: begging has no place in Islam as a lifestyle or means of survival.
Dr. Musa explained that Islam places dignity, self-reliance, and family responsibility at the heart of social order. According to him, the Qur’an and prophetic traditions do not encourage able-bodied individuals—especially women who are married or under guardianship—to resort to public begging.
“Islam does not promote begging,” he said. “The only situation where asking for help is tolerated is when a person who was previously self-sufficient suddenly loses everything — for instance, a successful trader who becomes bankrupt due to circumstances beyond his control. Even then, it is meant to be temporary, not habitual.”
He stressed that the current reality in Kano, where young women,many of them married, are seen openly begging with children, reflects a breakdown of responsibility, not religious endorsement.
According to the cleric, the primary burden lies on husbands, regardless of whether the marriage is polygamous or monogamous.
“Once a man marries a woman, he is fully responsible for her upkeep and that of her children. If he fails in this duty and allows her to roam the streets begging, then he is answerable before Allah,” Dr. Musa said.
He added that polygamy without capacity contradicts Islamic principles, noting that Islam permits multiple wives only on the condition of justice, provision, and protection.
“If a man cannot provide, he should not marry more wives. Allowing a wife to beg publicly is a form of humiliation and injustice,” he warned.
Dr. Musa further cautioned that street begging exposes women to moral, physical, and psychological dangers, including harassment, exploitation, and erosion of self-worth — all of which Islam seeks to prevent. Importantly, he linked the phenomenon to a contradiction in public morality.
“Kano is an Islamic society. We organise mass weddings to curb immorality, yet when divorced or widowed women are married off without empowerment or sustainable support, we simply postpone the problem. Poverty will still find them.”
According to him, marriage alone cannot solve vulnerability. Without education, skills, or economic support, a woman remains at risk — whether married, divorced, or widowed.
Dr. Musa called on religious leaders, families, and government authorities to move beyond sermons and enforcement to practical interventions, including vocational training, family counseling, and strict accountability for husbands who abandon their responsibilities.
“If we truly want to stop begging, we must restore dignity — through responsibility, empowerment, and fear of Allah,” he concluded.
From Survival to Dignity
The sight of young women begging with children across Kano is not merely a reflection of poverty; it is evidence of systemic failure. It exposes the consequences of limited education for girls, fragile marital safety nets, inadequate economic inclusion, and weak child protection systems. It also poses a serious threat to children, who are exposed daily to hunger, exploitation, trafficking, and lifelong disadvantage.
Until women are empowered with education, skills, and sustainable livelihoods, and until children are removed from the streets and protected from harm, begging will continue to haunt Kano’s public spaces. What is required is not charity alone, but a coordinated response that blends faith-based compassion with policy action, community responsibility, and economic empowerment. Only then can the outstretched hand on Kano’s streets be replaced with self-reliance, dignity, and hope.
