Street Begging in Accra: Multidimensional Security Implications

Abstract

Street begging in Accra has increasingly emerged as both a manifestation of socio-economic vulnerability and a growing urban security concern. The study examines the patterns, drivers, and security implications of street begging in Accra between 2010 and 2025, situating the practice within the broader contexts of urban governance, human security, and public order. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates field observations, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and documentary analysis. The findings reveal that street begging in Accra is geographically concentrated in high-traffic commercial areas, transport hubs, and major intersections, with intensity closely aligned to daily mobility patterns. The practice involves a heterogeneous population, including children, persons with disabilities, migrants, and unemployed adults, and in some cases operates within organised and exploitative networks. While begging functions as a survival strategy for vulnerable groups, the practice simultaneously generates multidimensional security risks, including traffic hazards, harassment, petty crime, and declining public confidence in urban governance. Drawing on Urban Disorder Theory and the Human Security framework, the study demonstrates that the visibility of begging contributes to perceptions of disorder and weak state control, while also reflecting deeper structural inequalities and gaps in social protection. Despite existing legal provisions, including the Beggars and Destitutes Decree, 1969 (NLCD 392) and the Children's Act, 1998, enforcement remains inconsistent and largely ineffective, resulting in cyclical patterns of displacement and re-emergence. The study concludes that street begging in Accra represents a multidimensional urban security challenge that cannot be addressed through enforcement alone. The study recommends integrated policy responses that combine regulatory measures with sustained social protection, targeted action against organised exploitation, and inclusive urban governance strategies. The research contributes to emerging scholarship on urban security in Africa by reframing street begging as both a governance and security issue rather than solely a humanitarian concern.