Morakinyo Akinosun
LAGOS – An estimate of ₦661 billion was spent in 2024 by men in Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos to satisfy their sexual urge with commercial sex workers, otherwise known as runs girls, a survey has shown.
Of the ₦661 billion, the sum of ₦329 billion was paid to hire the girls, while ₦332 billion was spent on other associated costs, according to the report published on social media X.
The survey was carried out to establish the economic importance of commerical sex work, the market value and the players.
The statistics from the survey shows that of the 3.1 million sexually active men between the age of 20 and 69 in 20 local government areas in Lagos, 1.86 million of them engages in transaction sex with non-partners.
The average rate charged by the girls involved in such transactions is ₦36,750 while the the lowest is ₦20,000.
In Eti-Osa local government area, transactional sex can cost as much as ₦100,000. The local government area contains affluent neighborhoods like Ikoyi where people with generational wealth live; Victoria Island which is known to house the headquarters of multinational companies; and Lekki which has a fast developing real estate sector with a seaport and a free trade zone in place while an airport is in the works.
The other LGAs behind Eti-Osa in terms of expensive transactional sex include Surulere, Kosofe, Alimosho, and Oshodi-Isolo.
Of the ₦329 billion received by the sex workers, ₦93 billion was spent by the ladies on body and skin maintenance products, including natural hair.
The survey showed that the ladies didn’t just engage in the practice for themselves alone as they supported their families with ₦62.5 billion.
Another ₦62.5 billion was gulped by clothing, accessories, rent, car and e-hailing, fitness and healthy living.
₦46 billion was spent on businesses like crypto, trading, forex, and betting.
Health and education gulped ₦15 billion each as the ladies spent on antibiotics, supplements, STD treatment, check ups, Bachelor’s program, coursework, project writers, and settlements, amongst other.
The survey showed that apart from the sum paid for sex, Lagos men also spent ₦332 billion associated costs on various activities with entertainment, food and hospitality being responsible for a joint ₦150.6 billion expended in 2024.
“Gifts, ranging from souvenirs and other simple consumables from ‘loyal’ and repeat customers to expense-paid trips, vacations, cars, and luxury items in the more premium segments, represented the top single category of these other costs.
“Drugs, sexual enhancers, stimulators and sex accessories also enjoyed a combined N33.4 billion in the time period,” the survey said.
Nigeria’s statistical agency had said in January that it would add illegal and hidden economic activities while calculating the GDP of an African powerhouse where corruption and black marketeering are rampant.
Gross domestic product estimates the size of an economy by calculating the value of goods and services produced.
Nigeria is currently the fourth largest African economy, according to International Monetary Fund figures, after occupying top spot until 2022.
It has been replaced by South Africa, Egypt and Algeria.
Moses Waniko, a senior official at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said the new exercise could show that Nigeria has a bigger economy than currently estimated.
“There are economic activities that have no legal backing,” he said, citing prostitution. “The practitioners earn income from them and sometimes live bigger than those in the formal seector. At the end of the day, the income earned impacts the formal economy,” Waniko said in a statement in January.
Nigeria last revised its GDP in 2010.
Waniko said a new calculation was necessary to reflect changing economic realities.
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