Prostitution in Nigeria is illegal in all Northern States that practice Islamic penal code. In Southern Nigeria, the activities of pimps or madams, underage prostitution and the operation or ownership of brothels are penalized under sections 223, 224, and 225 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. Even though Nigerian law does not legalize commercial sex work, it is vague if such work is performed by an independent individual who operates on his or her own accord without the use of pimps or a brothel.
The Nigeria criminal system prohibits national and trans-national trafficking of women for commercial sex or forced labour. Nigeria is a signatory to the 2000 United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
History
Sexual Practices in Pre Colonized Nigeria
Colonial ideas surrounding sex and female sexuality affected the ways in which the sexual practices of Nigerian women were viewed. In Pre colonial Nigeria there were many alternative viewpoints on female sexuality along with differing sexual practices.
Traditionally in Nigeria there was a heavy emphasis put on chastity. Certain customs and practices were instituted to deter young girls from engaging in premarital sex. One of these was called Fattening rites or mbokpo which was practiced by Efiks in Southern Nigeria and Annangs of Ikot Ekpene in Akea Ibom state.
Young girls were put in confinement for some time depending on the wealth of their families, and received visits from older women who fed and taught them laws of the land and marital duties. Among these duties were child care, cleaning, sewing, cooking, and how to act in front of one's husband. Along with this, girls were given information about sexual crimes, adultery, and premarital sex, which were punishable by death by Ekpo nka Aqwo, a deity who punishes cheating women. Often an unmarried girl was found out to be pregnant; she would undergo humiliation by being paraded through the streets naked, while villagers threw things or jeered.
Although, chasity among young girls was placed with high regard, scholarly work reveals a variety of socially permissible sexual interactions outside marriage. An example of this is the act of polygamy. A study conducted by Delius and Glasier, concluded that marriage in African societies was less about asserting control over women's sexuality and more about making sure child births were consistent with efficient labor productivity. In Yoruba societies, women would marry other women into their families if they were infertile or had only a few children. In Lagos and other Yoruba communities, women were also allowed to have relationships with men outside their husbands (with their husbands approval). Men seeking illicit relationships would bring things such as meats, palm wines, and other monetary gifts to receive the husband's approval.
During the mid to late 19th century concubinage, also became more widespread in Nigeria, due to the mass transportation of male slaves. Many of the young men who had not been taken for slavery were unable to pay high bride prices for women who held value for reproductive and economic roles. For men who did not have the financial means to marry, taking on women who were slaves was an accepted route.
