The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to ban street begging across the state for a second reading, citing growing concerns over public safety, environmental sanitation and the city’s image.
The proposed legislation, debated during Wednesday’s plenary, aims to provide a legal framework for tackling street begging, which lawmakers described as a long-standing social challenge affecting security and the overall appearance of Lagos.
During the debate, members of the Assembly expressed varying opinions on how the law should be enforced, with several lawmakers advocating rehabilitation and social welfare programmes instead of relying solely on punishment.
The bill follows a recent enforcement exercise by the Lagos State Government, during which 396 street beggars were arrested across the state. Authorities said those apprehended would be profiled before being returned to their respective states of origin.
Lawmaker Desmond Elliot called for a compassionate approach, especially for children living on the streets. He urged the government to remove vulnerable children from begging and provide them with proper care, rehabilitation, education and other social support services.
Representing Ikorodu Constituency II, Aro Moshood stressed the need to carefully review the bill to prevent possible misuse or wrongful enforcement by security agencies after it becomes law.
Bonu Solomon, representing Badagry Constituency I, argued that many street beggars in Lagos are from outside the state. He suggested that the legislation should also discourage indiscriminate public donations, saying such acts encourage street begging.
Noheem Adams, who represents Eti-Osa Constituency I, described the bill as a timely initiative and proposed that beggars should be moved to rehabilitation centres where they can receive vocational training, counselling and other forms of support to help them reintegrate into society.
He also noted that several states, including Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Anambra and Abia, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, have introduced measures to address street begging.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, acknowledged the importance of helping the less privileged but said the increasing number of people begging on the streets has become a security concern.
He proposed creating organised channels through which charitable donations can reach genuinely vulnerable people while ensuring that those found begging receive rehabilitation and opportunities for reintegration.
Obasa further directed that the proposed legislation be aligned with existing laws to ensure smooth implementation before referring it to the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development for further consideration. The committee is expected to submit its report within two weeks, after which the Assembly adjourned its plenary indefinitely.
