By Kolawole Omotola
In several busy parts of Lagos, the evening rush does not only signal the end of the workday; for many children, it marks the beginning of another shift on the streets.
At the bustling Iyana-Ipaja axis in Alimosho Local Government Area, traffic thickens as the sun fades around
7 p.m. Commercial buses, private cars and tricycles crawl through the roundabout while commuters hurry home. Amid the congestion, young vendors weave between vehicles, holding buckets and trays filled with oranges, cherries, soft drinks and vegetables, calling out to potential buyers.
A recent observation over several evenings revealed that a noticeable number of these roadside traders are minors who spend hours selling goods late into the night, despite laws prohibiting street hawking by children.
Children forced into trade
Among the group of young vendors are siblings Success,
12, Daniel, 9, and Solomon, 6, who sell oranges after school alongside their friend, Goodness, 13.
Success explained that she began hawking at the age of nine to help support her family.
“Our mother recently had a baby and cannot go out to sell like before,” she said. “So we help by selling in the evenings.”
According to the children, they usually start trading around 4 p.m. after returning from school and may remain on the roadside until all the fruits are sold.
“If we don’t finish selling early, we stay longer,” Success added. “Sometimes I stay till 10 p.m. because the oranges can spoil.”Unsold fruits rarely make it to the next day. “We just eat them if they spoil,” the children said.
Living with daily risks
Although the children insist they are used to the routine, dangers remain constant. They recalled a recent clash between hoodlums near the junction that forced them to flee for safety.
“They broke bottles everywhere and everyone had to run,” one of them said.
Apart from street violence, the children also face financial pressure. They disclosed that informal traders in the area are required to pay a daily levy of about ₦200, failing which their goods may be confiscated temporarily.
Despite their resilience, the young hawkers admitted they would prefer not to trade at night.
“If our parents had enough money, we wouldn’t be doing this,” they said.
Poverty behind the trend
Nearby, a mother identified simply as Stella watched her three sons hawking drinks and sachet water while she sold groundnuts and oranges at the roadside.
She said economic hardship forced the family into street trading.
“I struggled to provide for my children because there was little support from my husband,” she explained. “A neighbour suggested selling on the road since people buy things in the evening.Though the children’s sales contribute to the family income, Stella said she constantly worries about their safety.“I pray for their protection every night. If I could afford a shop or get help to start a proper business, my children would not be on the street,” she said.
Balancing school and survival
Fifteen-year-old Emmanuel, another street trader in the area, has spent more than two years hawking bottled water and soft drinks to support his family.
A secondary school student, he hopes education will offer a path out of hardship.
“I want to become a doctor or an engineer,” he said. “But for now I have to help my mother so we can continue paying for school.”
He admitted that working on the streets exposes children to accidents and negative influences.
“Some boys get involved in gangs or other bad activities,” he said. “I remind myself why I’m doing this so I don’t get distracted.”
Laws exist but challenges remain
Child protection laws in Lagos prohibit exploitative labour and street hawking by minors. The state also enacted regulations banning roadside trading, with penalties for offenders..
Authorities say enforcement efforts are ongoing. Officials have reiterated plans to remove child traders from the streets and provide support for vulnerable families.
However, experts argue that enforcement alone may not solve the problem.
Child rights advocates warn that street hawking exposes minors to serious risks, including accidents, abuse and recruitment into crime. They also note that late-night trading disrupts children’s sleep and education, leading to poor academic performance or school dropouts.
Call for broader solutions.
Advocates stress that poverty and lack of social support systems remain the main drivers of child street trading.
They recommend a combination of stronger social welfare programmes, free and accessible education, financial assistance for struggling families and community monitoring systems to protect vulnerable children.
Until such measures take effect, many young Lagosians will continue to spend their evenings navigating traffic and uncertainty, trading their childhoods for survival.
