Perception of Child Poverty in Southern Nigeria: Children’s Voices

Abstract

ABSTRACT Most of the existing surveys and poverty studies in Nigeria are, understandably, quantitative in approach, generating data and statistics that are currently guiding development planning. Issues that address perceptions, social interactions and/or sensory experiences are less amenable for exploration using quantitative data. They can be fruitfully analyzed with qualitative information. Yet, understanding how poverty impacts the lives of children, as well as how they perceive and experience it, is necessary for responsive, child-friendly, equity-focused development programming. This study is, therefore, an attempt to understand how children perceive, and feel about, poverty, not how many of them are poor (incidence of poverty) or how poor they are (depth of poverty). Such information about perception is normally not available in household surveys which capture most of the indicators that relate to survival and development of children. The study does not attempt to determine if most children feel they are poor either. The objective is to understand how children experience poverty and to listen to their voices as they express themselves about this experience. Consequently, the qualitative study was geared toward promoting child participation as well as to listen and understand children’s perception of poverty. Limited access to basic social services – including basic nutrition, quality education, adequate clothing, and decent shelter – formed a greater part of what poverty meant to children. Children perceived child poverty as a gendered phenomenon, impacting boys and girls differently. They observed that, in a bid to augment household income, poor children may be forced to drop out of school, and/or engage in various economic and social activities that expose them to violence, exploitation and abuse.