WITH ONE VOICE, WOMEN SPEAK AGAINST LEGALISING PROSTITUTION IN NIGERIA

By NBF News

For some time now, Nigeria has been abuzz with the news that the upper chamber of the National Assembly is considering legalizing prostitution. While the mention of word often causes one to shudder, it is no longer news that some Nigerian ladies are making a living out the old profession and many men patronize also them.

According to Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is canvassing for its legalization, 'We need to regulate prostitution in this country so that if anyone wants to indulge in prostitution, the person should be registered and issued with a licence. If we say we want to stop it, it would be difficult. It is done in other countries; let us regulate it by issuing licence.'

Some countries have adopted legislation that criminalizes prostitution or the buying or soliciting of sexual services, which has reportedly led to a significant reduction in the number of foreign women engaged in street prostitution.

This situation has created an unprofitable market for sex trafficking. On the other hand, some States have also legalized it with persuasive arguments that it curbs sex trafficking. Such countries do not view the abolition of prostitution as an effective strategy for reducing the incidence of trafficking and advocate for prostitutes' right to earn their livelihood and to organize themselves to assert their rights.

Will Nigeria also tow this line?
While some individuals think that legalizing prostitution would provide some sort of regulation and in the long run provide security for ladies who indulge in it, others outrightly condemn the plan stating it is not the most crucial issue for the nation to tackle now. Some women spoke to Daily Sun on this pressing issue and although their opinions vary, they all made it clear that legalizing prostitution means opening more doors for more ladies to indulge in the act. Excerpts: