Tout can be refers to someone who behaves indecent. They also discharge their duties in unlawful manner.
Tout is popularly known as “Agbero” in Western Region of Nigeria and “Dan Tasha” as they are called in Northern Region.
According to Mr. Fatai a tout who resides in Lagos, he said they are “money hunter” not a tout, he said this on a radio programme sponsored by BBC called “talk talk” on Splash FM 105.5 MHz Ibadan, Oyo State. But I may say the way this people hunt for money in Nigeria, basically in city like Lagos and the ancient city of Ibadan was unlawful. I mean they collect money from people with force not willing.
Not only Bus Conductors are tout, but also Students of higher learning are involved in touting. Because some student before they can pay their school fees they will collect money from their fellow students with force, they damage school facilities, raping etc. According to Prof. Lashode.
The NURTW (National Union of Road Transport Workers) spoke man from Lagos said those tout who collect tax from Drivers and Traders with force are not their staff, that their staff were in White and Green uniform. Those that are in Green and White uniform were to collect tax from Drivers excluding the Traders he said.
A market trader Alhaja Monsurat a trader who resides at Lagos Island said she want to migrate from Lagos to a better city because of the rampant act of touting in Lagos. According to her she said if they want to offload goods from lorries this people that called themselves “money hunters” would collect unnecessary tax from them.
Causes of Tout in Nigeria
The causes of tout in Nigeria can be analyze in the following ways:
- Unemployment: This is the major factor that causes the word “tout” in Nigeria. According Mr. Fatai a tout, he said assuming he was employed he might not involve himself in touting.
- Lack of home training: Some of this tout lack home training, because some them were from rich and polygamous family but because their parents don't care for them they will hunt for money in unlawful way.
- Lack of self-esteem: Lack of self-esteem can also causes touting in Nigeria, because if someone doesn't control his/herself when in need of money such person can involve in touting.
- Poverty: Poverty can also cause touting in such way that a parent that want his child to go to school or to become great in future can hunt for money by any means either by stealing or by any other way that is unlawful.
- Illiteracy: “Illiteracy is a disease”.An illiterate person will not be able to know whether collecting money from trader or drivers is unlawful.
Thus, touting in Nigeria has become an easy way for some people to be rich and earn their living from it. According to a Trader, she said they also collect money from their customers who wanted to buy items from them, because if the person doesn't pay them he/she might ends up not leaving the spot at the particular period of time.
In conclusion, touting in has become a rampant attitude to the extent that in 2007, 20,000 touts were arrested by police in Lagos because of their criminal act, theft, collection of unnecessary tax from traders in the market and drivers etc
- How can we rectify this problem in Nigeria?
- What are the possible solutions to touting in Nigeria?
- What are the effects of touting to Nigeria economy?
I promise to provide answers to the following questions in part two of this content, watch out!
