Ashawo: The Prostitution Laws in Nigeria

Prostitution is the practice of engaging in indiscriminate sexual activity in exchange for payment of money or other valuables. Prostitution in all Northern states of Nigeria is illegal. In Southern Nigeria, the operation of brothels, underage prostitution and activities of pimps are penalized under sections 223, 224 and 225 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. The Nigerian law doesn’t legalize prostitution however it’s vague since such work is performed by an independent person who operates independently without the aid of pimps or a brothel. )

The country’s criminal system prohibits transnational and national women trafficking for prostitution or forced labour. In a survey of commercial sex workers, two-thirds or 63% of prostitutes said that they started prostitution before the age of 19. 88% of prostitutes operate in cities far from their childhood homes to hide shame due to the negative perception of prostitution.

Most of the commercial sex workers came from low-income households. Prostitutes are trained by pimps, or older professionals prior to the starting of their jobs. Their training lessons concern how to deal with STDs, how to deal with difficult clients and self-defence. According to the survey, a huge number of prostitutes had limited information about STDs while another number mentioned they didn’t seek treatment from a clinic.

Of female Nigerian prostitutes 50% contract HIV/AIDS, and most of them derive the virus from heterosexual intercourse. Over 200,000 deaths caused by HIV/AIDS were recorded in 2005. Sub-Saharan Africa has about 60% of the global population living with AIDS making up just 10% of the population. A total of 3.47 million people living with AIDS was recorded in 2022.

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Forms of Prostitution:

Institutional

This is mostly practised in hotels, bars and brothels where prostitutes rent rooms and their services are rented to their patrons.

Freelance

This is mostly practised by students in Nigerian tertiary institutions. This is a single operator whereby prostitutes stay home and only leave when their services are required.

Corporate Prostitution

This one happens silently in the corporate world where ladies are forced to sleep with their bosses in order to get jobs or promotions or when female workers have to sleep with clients to achieve their targets. In some institutions, prostitutes are considered members of a recognized profession. In other societies, prostitutes have been shunned by stoning or imprisonment.

States in Nigeria With High Rates of Promiscuity

Lagos

This is the most populous and promiscuous state in Nigeria. Their clients are easy to locate as they are scattered all over the state including hotels, bars and clubs. You can find these “Ashawos” in areas like Leki, Yaba and Surulere among other regions.

Abuja

This stylish metropolis is a home to rich, stylish and egotistical young boys. therefore there’s a lot of competition of competition for ashawos because the compensation is alluring to young women. The Kado Kuchi village is popularly known as the “sex zone” by the locals.

Ogun State

Nigerian Lagos is the Ogun state. It is one of the most industrialised states in Nigeria. Many women in these states do not feel any need to work in a respectable career and favour prostitution as a way to obtain money from the Yahoo Boys.

Enugu State

Communities in this state have expressed their outrage over the rising rates of prostitution among women between the ages of 16 and 35 years. There are numerous hotels situated in different parts of the country where women stand in the open to attract men.

Edo State

Promiscuity in Edo has reached a new level with women and men being transported to various nations like South Africa and Italy. Sex trafficking is part of living in Edo, especially Benin, the capital.

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