As the pang of economic hard times bite harder following the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, beggars in Kano State have become more innovative in their trade, in an attempt to secure daily bread.
Findings revealed that the beggars have continued to defy the law against street begging in the state which was introduced in 2020 by the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led government.
Following the ban, many of them have now devised novel strategies other than the well known and obsolete method of using unappealing young adults to solicit for alms. The beggars now come in the form of young and middle-aged women scouting the street corners for financial support. A format typical of ‘Corporate Beggars” in other parts of the country like Lagos.
Those who are conversant with Kano city and its people, position themselves in strategic places; especially in the highbrow areas often visited by members of the high society, to solicit for alms.
Others, like young mothers and other persons living with disabilities, leverage on the lifestyle of the rich by hanging around their relaxation spots in the evening to seek financial assistance. Some nursing mothers come in dire need of help to get money to care for their babies.
The strategies might have changed, all these tactics still constitute a nuisance to public order, which explains the ban by the Kano State government.
