In 2021, 23-year-old Ruth Daniel (not her real name) had a promising future. She had excelled in her West African Senior School Certificate examinations and dreamed of becoming a plant scientist. However, when her father died just weeks after she gained admission to study botany at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in Southern Nigeria, the outlines of her dream became less clear.
Despite the setback of her father’s death, Daniel, the eldest of four children, pressed on, working as a labourer to pay for her first-year tuition fees, while her mother sold many of their belongings. However, without proper shelter, food or books during her first year, Daniel was under pressure to find another way to earn money.
She was introduced to sex work by a friend, Chiamaka (not her real name). “We were in the same department but only became close after meeting at a party where we exchanged contacts. Later, she told me I needed to upgrade my lifestyle,” Daniel told University World News. Chiamaka connected her with wealthy men who became her clients.
“My first night was with a man from the United Kingdom. He gave me NGN10,000 (about US$6). I was happy because I had never received that much money at once,” Daniel said. After that first night, she continued in the trade. “I got used to it and started earning over NGN5,000 (about US$3) per night. I had to [give a] cut [to] the person who found me clients, but I saved enough for tuition, accommodation, books, food – and to send money home.”
Socio-economic conditions
Sex work among female students in universities nationwide is a worrying phenomenon affecting young adults’ futures and leading to more cases of unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and substance abuse, according to academic studies. Referred to as ‘hook-up’, it is now often facilitated online.
Given the country’s challenging current economic conditions, marked by rising inflation and a high increase in the cost of living, sex work among students in tertiary institutions has become more common. Some experts also view the rise in sex work in tertiary institutions as the product of new lifestyles and a modern world, while others point to the materialistic tendencies of society which puts added pressure on students.
Academic research published in 2020, which sampled 9,800 final-year female students across four tertiary institutions, including the Federal University of Technology in Imo State, which Daniel attends, highlighted the complex socio-economic factors driving sexual promiscuity among female students.
The study, which used a proportionate random sampling technique and structured questionnaires containing personal data and research-related items, investigated the prevalence, causes and effects of sex work among female undergraduates. Findings revealed that 79% of respondents acknowledged the existence of sexual promiscuity – with poverty, peer pressure, parental neglect and freedom cited as contributing factors.
Additionally, 78% of respondents acknowledged the negative effects, including unwanted pregnancy, drug intake, and sexually transmitted diseases. The findings underscored the need for intervention strategies to deal with the drivers of sexual promiscuity among female university students.
Perceptions of drivers of sex work
An earlier study, which explored the perceived determinants of sex work among female students, suggested that, in addition to economic factors, peer pressure, a desire to fit in, fear of rejection and poor parental upbringing are believed to influence the trend towards sex work.
For example, 87.3% of 473 respondents believed that female students involved in campus sex work came from low-income families, such as those of artisans, petty traders and low-level civil servants. Additionally, 93.2% said these students were influenced by their peers.
According to the paper, 41.9% of respondents said their perception of the level of sex work taking place on their campus was “rather high”. Asked about the factors motivating students to engage in sex work, 40% said some students seek high academic grades (40%), while 15.6% said students were motivated by the desire for expensive clothes and gadgets like laptops and mobile phones.
About 19.9% of respondents noted that previous sexual abuse could lead to such behaviour, and 6.8% mentioned the urge for sexual experience.
Living off-campus was also a significant factor, with 63.8% of respondents saying they believed that female students who lived away from their parents were more likely to engage in campus sex work.
Regression analysis in the study suggested that parents’ economic background and peer influence together explained 13.9% of the factors leading to campus sex work.
Finding alternatives
Those who resort to sex work to financially support their studies often also have to endure the condemnation of their peers as not all students with financial difficulties see it as a solution. A 300-level student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Sharon Akpenor (not her real name), told University World News her former roommate from a poor family who engaged in sex work invited her to join in, but she declined.
“I was very uncomfortable [living with her] and often talked to her about quitting. She once told me she felt emotionless during the intercourse and guilty when receiving money, but she felt relieved to meet her financial obligations, especially for her studies.
“I asked her to stop. I knew her family was poor, but I didn’t think that was a valid excuse. She used the money to pay for tuition and other school expenses.”
Akpenor said her roommate would return with an average of NGN20,000 to NGN30,000 per day. Akpenor was emphatic that she would never resort to sex work and hoped to find another way to cover her bills.
Allure of materialism
Anecdotes from other students point to the allure of materialism as a motivation behind their decision to engage in sex work.
Felicia Jinadu (not her real name), a student at the Federal University of Technology, Imo State, recounted how peer pressure led her into sex work, which had become addictive. Despite coming from a middle-class family which provided for her needs, she got into sex work unexpectedly when her roommate invited her to an off-campus party. Her friends got her drunk and linked her with a rich man.
“I didn’t know my friends were into that until we went to the party. I woke up the next morning with the man they set me up with, and he gave me US$500. My friend said if I kept going with them to the club, I’d earn more,” Jinadu told University World News.
Since then, she has been making money from sex work, which has distracted her from her academic studies. “My parents pay for my tuition, and the money I make goes towards buying clothes, jewellery, and other expensive things. They don’t know at home. I pray to change my ways soon,” she added.
An emphasis on family
Dr Auwal Halilu, state coordinator for the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All, acknowledged that, while not all students engage in sex work, the country’s economic situation was a significant factor behind the current trends. However, Halilu said peer pressure and the desire for a luxurious lifestyle also played crucial roles.
“Students need money for food, assignments, internet access and transportation, especially if they live off-campus. If their families can’t support them fully, they might resort to sex work. The societal obsession with money exacerbates this issue, as students see their peers flaunting wealth and feel pressured to keep up,” Halilu told University World News.
Halilu said families needed to provide greater financial and moral support to their children while the government needed to provide more financial assistance to tertiary institutions and students, especially women. Programmes such as the indigent scholarship at Bayero University, which helps to pay school fees for less privileged students, are examples of what can be done, he said.
“Education is a collective responsibility,” Halilu said, suggesting that parents, the government, society, and philanthropists should all be contributing to support students.
It was also crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of sex work, he said, emphasising that religious and community leaders, school management and student unions should educate students on alternatives and on the importance of patience and perseverance. Halilu suggested that introducing uniforms in higher education institutions could reduce competition and pressure related to fashion and lifestyle.
Ultimately, though, for Halilu, the family was the bedrock of society. “If every family takes responsibility for their children’s upbringing, the entire society will benefit,” he said.
Sex education expert and counsellor Praise Fowowe drew links between the tendency to turn to sex work and past sexual abuse. Fowowe, who has counselled more than 300 sex workers, said many of those women were abused by family members or trusted figures at a young age. He argued that, rather than poverty, they were driven by other struggles.
Like Halilu, Fowowe emphasised the critical role of parents in preventing such outcomes. He said parents should be present for their children and help them build healthy self-esteem. He said many low-income families managed to raise children who resisted sex work, suggesting that poverty alone was not the cause, though it may contribute.
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