Expert Reacts as Children Turn to Waste Picking Over Worsened Poverty in Adamawa
- In Adamawa, climate-related disasters and poverty have forced children to pick waste instead of attending school
- An expert who spoke to Legit.ng noted how drought, flooding, and environmental stress have worsened food insecurity and social tensions
- The advocate urged adaptation and practical measures to protect livelihoods and support children’s education
Amid communal clashes and insurgent attacks in Adamawa state, environmental challenges are worsening poverty, forcing many families into difficult survival choices.
Source: Original
In the Hayin Gada community, children are increasingly dropping out of school and turning to waste picking as a source of livelihood.
Legit.ng understands that waste is often dumped carelessly in the area, with parents and guardians sending young children to search for recyclable materials they can sell.
Most of these children work barefoot, exposing themselves to injuries and health risks.
Environmental changes continue to affect livelihoods, safety, and daily living conditions. Climate-related factors such as drought, flooding, desertification, and poor harvests have reduced income for families who depend on farming and livestock.
Speaking to Legit.ng, a 12-year-old boy, Habizu, said:
“My daily work is to pick iron and bottles and sell them to make money. I want to buy Sallah's clothes. My parents live in Bauchi. I don’t attend school; this is what I do to earn my living.”
Another child, Abdullahi, described how flooding changed his family’s situation:
“This is my business. I don’t go to any school because my parents don’t have the money to pay for my fees. My father is a farmer, but things changed when the flood affected our village, and since then, we have been suffering. Picking up bottles from the trash and selling them is what I do as my source of livelihood. It will take me one week to gather a full net and sell it at the price of ₦70 per piece.”
“When the buyers come, they will reduce the amount sometimes to ₦50, but I have no option. I need to buy food, wear clothes, and also bathe.”
Adamawa: Expert reacts to climate change impact
A climate change advocate, Sir Amb. Richard Akase Inyamkume, Coordinator of the Nigeria Local Coalition Accelerator and Founder of Ambassadors of Dialogue, Climate and Reintegration (DCR Ambassadors), said environmental changes are affecting both livelihoods and food systems in the state. In an exclusive with Legit.ng, he noted that:
“Climate Change affects people, animals, and natural resources. Currently in Adamawa State, heat waves are one of the major causes of climate change, which is affecting the people, leading to food insecurity where farmers no longer farm like before due to drought, and fishermen find it difficult, causing much food insufficiency.”
He also noted that climate change worsens natural disasters and environmental conditions, increasing the spread of diseases like malaria and cholera, which further threaten livelihoods.
Source: Original
According to him, environmental stress can also contribute to social tension:
“Communal clash is a result of climate change occurring in the community, due to drought. This act also causes poverty, which is why most children in the local communities succumb to picking up waste products rather than valuing education due to poverty.”
Effect on children discussed
While acknowledging waste picking as a means of survival, he raised concerns about its impact on children:
“Waste has become wealth. People go and pick waste, sell it, and generate income, but it's unfortunate to see children who are supposed to be in school picking waste. They may sell it, but they should go to school first. After their school hours, they should come back and pick up the waste. They should be taught how to separate the waste, so that interacting with it doesn't become a hazard to their health, though it's a means of survival.”
Inyamkume further called for better waste management:
“The government has an important role to play by providing trash bins where waste can be kept carefully and separating them to keep the environment clean and safe.”
The expert, who stressed the need for adaptation measures, added:
“Climate change affects people, especially during this heat season. The measures that should be taken are for the people to adapt to renewable energy, such as solar, and have enough water to drink. Parents should send their children to school.”
Fuel subsidy removal pushes Nigerian poverty higher
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s poverty rate surged to 63% following the removal of petrol subsidies. Low-income and rural households were hit hardest, while social protection programmes offered only limited relief.
The study, presented at an Agora Policy dialogue in Abuja, also found that electricity tariff adjustments raised consumer prices slightly but boosted economic output modestly.
Source: Legit.ng
