Over 1,300 street hawkers invade Accra

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The menace of street hawking continues to boom in the country as over 1,300 hawkers engage in street business at traffic intersections in Accra.

The numbers keep swelling by the day in spite of the recent job creation interventions by the government.

A Street Hawking Census conducted by ADR Daily in Accra this week recorded a total of 1,333 hawkers at 21 traffic intersections and points in the capital.

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Out of the total number recorded in the headcount, 630 are males and 703 are female, all aged between 15 to 45 years trading in all manner of consumables.

The survey found the street hawkers, who dangerously compete with vehicles for space, to be densely populated in a number of areas including Kwashiman, Dzorwulu, Opebia, Lapaz, Okponglo, Airport and National Theatre intersections, as well as the Accra and Tema motorway end tollbooths.

Sachet/bottled water topped the list of items sold on the streets, recording 209 street hawkers, followed by beverages which are sold by 146 hawkers.

Bread and pastries follow with 92 street hawkers, while clothing items recorded 91 sellers, with 84 hawkers selling fruits, and 82 selling other food items such as kenkey and eggs.

A total of 66 young people were found selling mobile phone credit cards, while 63 each are engaged in the sale of toiletries and car accessories. See full list below.

Most of the street hawkers ADR Daily interacted with indicated that street business was the only option they had to generate income to make a living.

Many of them are either Junior High School and Senior High School graduates or dropouts.

According to some of them, although they had some secondary school education, they have found it difficult securing jobs, especially under the national youth employment modules.

Juliana, a female hawker at the Dzorwulu intersection stated that her reason for hawking on the streets was because she was unable to secure a good job, adding that she did not have any valued skills set to enable her secure a reasonable job.

Another female hawker said that she took to hawking to pay for her mother’s medical bill, but after the bill was settled, the quest to generate regular income kept her on the street.

Kwakye, a male hawker at the 37 Military Hospital who has been trading on the streets for the past three years, said he took to street hawking because he needed money to pay off a debt.

Three female siblings who sell pastries at Lapaz said they were in that business to support their family. The eldest indicated that it was better than prostitution.

By: Fred Gadese-Mensah/adrdaily.com

Census Summary

Summary of items sold