Assessment of Poverty Incidence among Almajiri Children in Damaturu Metropolis, Yobe State

Abstract

Abstract

Poverty is a major socio-economic problem affecting many countries particularly the developing regions of the world. This study assesses the poverty incidence among Almajiri children in Damaturu metropolis, Yobe State Nigeria. Both quantitative and qualitative survey was conducted in all the almajiri schools in the study area. A survey research strategy was adopted which involves the process of collecting data using the questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The instruments for data collection for this study included Geographical and Information System (GIS), structured questionnaire using Ordinary Data Kit (ODK) software. Six thousand one hundred and ninety three (6,193) represents the sample frame for the study. The sample size for the study for the children and guardians were 361 and 48 respectively. Similar, for the general public 100 person who lived close to the Tsangaya were selected for the study. In this study, cluster, availability, simple random sampling and probability technique were used. The children were selected randomly from the streets and Tsangaya in various neighbourhoods under study. Data collected from the field was analysed using descriptive statistics, tables, mean, ratio, and the route mapping was presented inform of maps about the Origin-destination that is place of origin and destination. Also, data collected were subjected to Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) method. The findings of this study revealed among others that, the almajiri children are deprived at least either in all the indicators of a single dimension or a combination across dimensions of child poverty in Damaturu metropolis. This study therefore recommends, a multifaceted approach that addresses the complex interplay of economic, social and cultural factors shaping the well-being of the Almajiri children.

*KEY WORDS: Assessment, Almajiri, children, poverty, poverty incidence, Damaturu metropolis.