Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the relationship that exists between land use activities and street begging in Ibadan municipality, Nigeria, following the observed influence of urban land use activities on begging incidence. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were obtained through the method of direct enumeration of beggars and cursory observation of the physical and environmental compositions of the identified beggars’ locations in the study area. Findings The results showed that begging is a function of urban land use activities and it also conforms to the concentric, sector and multiple nuclei models of urban land use. Research limitations/implications Studies are still less noticeable on the spatial implications of begging in Nigerian urban centres. In view of this, it is very much suggested that more studies be carried out on issues relating to begging, particularly, on the spatial implications of begging in other municipalities for effective comparative analysis. Originality/value The study fills a gap in the literature as there is limited research on street begging in relation to spatial dimension.

Against the background of the solution-defying incidence of child labourers in Nigerian cities, this study examined the relationship between public spaces and incidence of child labourers in Ibadan Municipality, Nigeria. Data were obtained through direct counting of child labourers and cursory observation of the physical and environmental compositions of their places of operation. The direct counting was conducted for seven days of the week in the morning, afternoon and evening within defined activity-nuclei purposively selected across three densities of residential areas of the municipality: high, medium and low. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics. Findings showed that the incidence and categories of child labourers varied with public spaces and density of residential areas, and also followed the concentric, sector and multiple nuclei theories of urban land use. The study, therefore, recommended that urban planners and government have roles to play in offering lasting solution to the menace of child labour.

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This study examined the perceptions of able-bodied beggars to factors responsible for their prevalence and the land uses they occupied for their activities in Ibadan metropolis. Nigeria. Data were obtained from 117 (18, 12, 46, 13 and 28 in the areas of Sango, Iwo Road, Sabo, Challenge and Oja Oba, respectively) randomly selected able-bodied beggars using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using percentages, mean index, standard deviation, chi-square and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study showed that 51.3% of the beggars were males; the youngest was 19 years old, while the oldest was 59 years. The average age of the beggars was 33 years. Further findings revealed that the average household size for the study area was 5, while the standard deviation was 2.6. The important perceived factors responsible for the prevalence of begging among the able-bodied beggars, measured on a 5-point Likert Scale, were homelessness (4.29), lack of skills for gainful employment (3.77), debt (3.64), meeting cost of education/children’s education (3.64), inability to secure a job (3.52) and lack of food (2.97). The study further revealed that the prevalence of begging among able-bodied beggars varied with land uses. Against this background, it was concluded that the information obtained on the socio-economic attributes of able-bodied beggars, perceived determinants of their prevalence and their targeted land uses could be utilized by policy-makers and urban planners to proffer lasting solutions to the menace of begging.

This article investigated the intra-urban distribution of child hawking in Enugu Municipality, Nigeria. The study first enumerated child hawkers across three residential areas (core, transition and sub-urban) simultaneously on different weekdays and at different locations (activity-nuclei) in Enugu municipality. A questionnaire was then employed to obtain information from 95 incidentally selected child hawkers, comprising 49, 21 and 25, respectively. Information sourced was their socio-economic characteristics and factors influencing their taking to the street to hawk. The data were analysed using percentages, cross tabulation and standard scores. Results showed that 58.9% were males, 53.7% were out-of-school and 47.4% realized ₦501.00–₦1000.00 ($1.4USD–$2.78USD) per day. Factors influencing child hawking, measured through an index tagged ‘Child Hawkers’ Factor Index’ (CHFI) on a 5-point Likert-type scale, showed that poverty was the most prevalent factor in the core, transition and sub-urban areas of the municipality, respectively, with (CHFI = 3.67), (CHFI = 3.64) and (CHFI = 3.37). The study further showed that there was a relationship between child hawking incidence and land use activities. It observed that the core residential area, junction, Motor Park and market land uses were generators of child hawkers. The study suggested effective urban planning and policy measures in addressing the menace of child hawking.