Lagos Proposes ₦200,000 Fine, Two Year Jail Term for Street Begging
The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun legislative action to prohibit street begging and the activities of street urchins in public places across the state.
The proposed Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill 2026 provides penalties for people who engage in, aid or encourage street begging.
Under the proposed law, first offenders would be warned and referred to rehabilitation centres, while second offenders could face a fine of up to ₦200,000, a non custodial sentence of up to three months or both.
Serial offenders could face imprisonment for up to two years if the proposed legislation is passed into law.
The bill also seeks to prohibit loitering, sleeping, residing or setting up temporary or permanent structures in public or private spaces for the purpose of begging.
Parents and guardians who use or allow children in their care to engage in street begging could also face prosecution under applicable child protection laws.
The proposed legislation provides for rehabilitation centres where affected persons would receive vocational training, literacy programmes, psychological counselling and life skills education to support their reintegration into society.
The bill further requires enforcement officers to respect constitutional rights and prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and unlawful detention.
