BY ABDULLAHI GARBA, OCTOBER 25, 2026 | 3:10PM

As dusk settles over the bustling city of Maiduguri, commercial tricycles taper off, shop owners pull down their metal shutters, and the vibrant daytime hustle gradually dissolves into night.

But for 13-year-old Yuram (not his real name), the setting sun does not signal a return home.

Instead, it marks the start of another desperate search for safety.

Clutching a frayed polyethylene bag containing a few pieces of rag, sponge and a little liquid and a small plastic bottle filled with a strong-smelling solvent, Yuram curls his frail frame onto a cardboard sheet in an open shop near the city center.

The concrete floor offers no warmth against the evening chill, but it is the only refuge he knows.

'When the night comes, the cold hurts, and the fear of getting attacked keeps you awake,' Yuram whispers, his bloodshot eyes reflecting the dim glow of distant streetlights. 'Sniffing the rubber solution makes the hunger go away and helps me sleep without thinking too much.'

Yuram’s story is not an isolated tragedy; it is a visible symptom of a growing crisis across Maiduguri’s urban landscape.

Across public parks, uncompleted buildings, busy motor parks, and major traffic intersections, hundreds of unsheltered minors, some as young as eight are exposed to severe weather, physical danger, and systemic neglect.

A Confluence of Vulnerabilities

The surge of street-connected children in Borno State stems from a complex web of factors.

Years of socio-economic disruption, regional displacement, loss of primary caregivers, and extreme household poverty have strained traditional extended family support systems.

Left with few options, many minors migrate toward urban centers in search of survival, only to find themselves entirely on their own.

Without parental guidance, access to formal education, or basic shelter, these children quickly adopt drastic coping mechanisms.

Peer networks on the street offer a crude form of protection, but they also serve as an entry point into substance abuse.

A Nurse Educator at the college of Nursing Sciences, Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital Maiduguri, Abdullahi Bukar said 'Drug use among minors in Maiduguri and other parts of Northeast Nigeria is a growing public health and social concern that requires urgent, coordinated attention.

'Its contributing factors may include peer pressure, poverty, family instability, inadequate parental supervision, easy access to psychoactive substances, and psychological distress'

Furthermore, prolonged insecurity, displacement, loss of loved ones, and disruption of educational system may expose some children to traumatic experiences that increase their vulnerability to substance use.

However, it is important to recognize that no single factor explains every child's involvement in drugs; individual circumstances and the wider social environment must be considered.

Bukar further said 'Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive, compassionate, and community-based approach rather than punishment alone.'

Parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders, healthcare professionals, government agencies, and civil society organizations must work together to strengthen child protection, improve drug education, identify vulnerable children early, and provide accessible mental health and rehabilitation services.

Equally important is the provision of quality education, vocational training, recreational facilities, and meaningful opportunities for young people.

Children affected by substance use should not simply be stigmatized or condemned, they need appropriate guidance, protection, treatment, and support to recover and realize their potential.

The Reality of Daily Survival

In places like the Tashan Kano perimeter, Monday Market, damboa motor park, open air theatre and post office roundabout, groups of minors gather during off-peak hours.

They perform informal chores, cleaning windshields, carrying heavy market loads, or begging for small change that barely covers a single meal.

For 14-year-old Abba (not his real name), who has lived on the streets for over two years, the transition from sleeping outdoors to substance reliance happened rapidly.

'At first, you just want to fit in with the older boys who know where to find food,'Abba says, looking at his scarred knuckles. 'Then they offer you something to stop you from crying at night. Before you realize it, you cannot pass a day without it.'

Community members and customers express a mixture of sympathy and worry.

While many acknowledge the tragic circumstances facing these children, concerns over petty crime and public safety frequently lead to hostility toward street youth, further isolating them from social assistance.

Institutional Gaps and Child Rights

Nigeria’s legal framework, including the Child Rights Act, explicitly mandates the protection, care, and rehabilitation of vulnerable children.

However, the operational gap between policy and ground-level intervention remains substantial.

Social workers in Borno State highlight that while government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have made strides in humanitarian assistance, dedicated rehabilitation and transit facilities specifically designed for street-connected children struggling with addiction remain severely overburdened and underfunded.

'Emergency relief often focuses on food distribution and temporary shelters, but street-connected children with addiction issues require specialized psychological counseling, detoxification, and long-term social reintegration,' says a local child rights advocate who requested anonymity.

'Without structured rehabilitation programs, sending a child back to the streets after a short stay in a shelter only leads to relapse.'

The Path Forward: From Neglect to Rehabilitation

Addressing this humanitarian issue requires a coordinated strategy involving state authorities, civil society organizations, community leaders, and academic institutions and the media.

Dedicated Transit & Rehab Facilities: Establishing functional, well-equipped children rehabilitation centers in Maiduguri that offer medical care, mental health support, and substance abuse therapy.

Vocational & Educational Reintegration: Pairing rehabilitation with practical skill acquisition such as tailoring, carpentry, or mechanic to give rescued youth sustainable pathways out of poverty.

Community-Based Child Protection: Strengthening local welfare committees and family-support networks to prevent child abandonment and identify at-risk youth before they migrate to the streets.

Conclusion

As dawn breaks over Maiduguri, Yuram packs his cardboard sheet and steps back into the morning traffic, ready to repeat the cycle of survival.

The plight of street-connected children is not merely a localized social nuisance; it is a profound national crisis that threatens the future of an entire generation.

Until structured interventions replace indifference, hundreds of young lives will remain trapped in the shadows of the city's streets waiting for a hand that offers support rather than a look that turns away.