Nigeria

Nigeria operates a pluralistic legal system splitting along the southern–northern divide. In the south, the Criminal Code Act Cap C38, LFN 2004 governs: s.222B–C (procuration of girls under 18), s.223 (procuration for prostitution), s.224 (procuring by threat or drug), s.225A (living off earnings — 2 yrs + caning on repeat) and s.225B (brothel-keeping). The adult sex worker is not the offender — third parties are. In the 12 northern Sharia-implementing states (Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara), the Penal Code Act applies — s.405(d) punishes a "common prostitute" persistently soliciting with up to 2 years' imprisonment, and Sharia overlay adds caning, with theoretical stoning for zina by married persons (no execution carried out since the 2002 Amina Lawal commutation). At federal level, the TIPPEAA 2015 is enforced by NAPTIP; the US State Department 2025 TIP Report keeps Nigeria on Tier 2. A May 2026 Federal High Court ruling (Lawyers Alert Initiative v. Minister of the FCT) reaffirmed prosecutability of solicitation in Abuja under the FCT Penal Code.

Lagos is the centre of gravity: Allen Avenue and Opebi (Ikeja) are the historic red-light corridor; Adeola Odeku and Oniru on Victoria Island host higher-tier venues. Rates reported range from ₦5,000 short-time street to ₦210,000/week for top earners. Police raids occur but a long-documented pattern of informal "affiliation" with local police squads buys de-facto tolerance — corruption is the operative regulator more than law. Client vetting works differently from Western markets: formal screening (real-name, employer verification, references) is rare; instead, **video-call verification** before a booking is the dominant trust mechanism, and a **"T-Fare"** (transport fare) sent in advance via bank transfer or USSD serves as a soft deposit, signalling commitment and filtering out timewasters. Abuja sees the most NAPTIP enforcement: 2025 raids on a Gwagwalada apartment (29 victims rescued, 8 traffickers arrested) and a Kwali 3-star hotel (11 underage girls rescued), plus interceptions of ~60 trafficking victims at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport bound for Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Port Harcourt and Benin City (Edo) remain hubs for outbound trafficking to Italy. Northern crackdowns are severe — Kano's Hisbah Corps and Kaduna/Zamfara state morality police carry out periodic sweeps.

The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (enforced by the NDPC, with the GAID 2025 implementing directive effective Sept 2025) governs personal data. The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act 2015, as amended 2024, criminalises cyberstalking and "indecent" content — s.24 has been used against journalists and activists, and could be turned against advertising platforms.

Northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa) — active Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency, do not travel. Northwest (Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto) — banditry, mass kidnappings, plus Sharia enforcement; non-Muslim foreign workers face dual risk. Lagos and Port Harcourt are the dominant working cities for foreigners and are operationally safe with normal urban precautions — armed-robbery risk varies sharply by neighbourhood rather than across the whole city. The clearest practical guideline: do not street-work late at night in areas you don't know well, unless you have a local friend with you. Indoor work and pre-screened (video-verified, T-Fare-paid) appointments are the safer mode by a wide margin. LGBT+ travellers face heightened arrest/extortion risk under the SSMPA 2014, particularly via dating-app entrapment. Most Western foreign ministries advise against all but essential travel outside Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Codedruns.com is the dominant local classifieds platform — listings + reviews + city pages, widely used by independent workers across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and beyond. Locanto Nigeria and NaijaPlanet also carry listings. Instagram, X and Telegram are the working channels for higher-tier and incall-only workers — all elevate doxxing and SSMPA-related risk for LGBT+ workers.

• NSWA (Nigeria Sex Workers Association / "Precious Jewels") — 35 SW-led groups across 36 states
• Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights (GWIHR) — Rivers State
• Women Aid Collective (WACOL) — Enugu legal aid
• NAPTIP victim hotline — 0703-000-0203 (for trafficking victims)