This study discussed the factors that caused street begging among school age children and investigated social protection policies aimed at eradicating the menace in Southwestern, Nigeria. It also examined the impact of the social protection policies on street begging among school-age children and assessed the challenges confronting social protection interventions. The study’s primary data were sourced through multi-choice structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides. The study administered one hundred and fifty copies of questionnaires on teachers, parents, and school age children in Ondo, Oyo and Lagos States. Interviews were conducted with twelve 12 respondents on the basis of four from each state based on their experience of street begging by school-age children and social protection policies meant to tackle the menace. Purposively sampled interviewees were from ministries of education and schools, with two education officials from each of the three states and two school principals from each of the three states. Secondary data were from books, relevant journals, government publications, policy guides, gazettes, and online publications. We analyzed quantitative data with the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools, and qualitative data with content analysis. The study showed poverty, unemployment, broken homes, and poor feeding and other factors as responsible for street begging among school age children. Some of the social protection policies that are in place to eradicate street begging by school-age children in Southwestern Nigeria include Zero Project, Better Education Service Delivery for All, Integrated Qur’anic and Tsangaya Education, and other domesticated policies of the federal government. Social protection policies in Southwestern, Nigeria are impactful in reducing street begging but poor funding, change in government, overstretched facilities, and corruption are some of the challenges militating against them. The study concluded that street begging by school age children in Southwestern, Nigeria is a social menace that requires intensification of existing social protection policies and serious government attention.
Keywords: Poverty, child poverty, school age children, social protection policies, street begging
