Lagos-based commercial sex workers have disclosed that the country’s economic woes have forced them to keep their charges constant, citing the necessity of taking their clients’ budgets into account.
The sex workers said in an interview that fewer people are requesting their services as a result of the economy’s current status, which has negatively affected socio-economic activities.
One of the prostitutes, Nneka Neli, who operates in the Egbeda-Igando area, revealed that she couldn’t increase her fees because the number of men visiting her had substantially fallen. Neli stated that keeping her prices cheap was vital to maintain her surviving customers, who were already struggling with the economic circumstances.
“I’ve kept my charges affordable for my customers. Some of them have even stopped coming because of the current economic situation in the country.
“I charge between N20,000 to N25,000 for the whole night, and N15,000 for a quickie or for one or two hours.
“Everywhere is now dry. We no longer have the rush of customers on Sundays like we used to. In this lodge, I pay N8,000 every day. Yesterday (Wednesday), I hadn’t even paid yet, and I need to hustle to cover it. The economy is affecting me.”
Another prostitute on LASU Road in Peace bemoaned the dismal state of the economy and the fact that clients were avoiding her.
“This economy hasn’t been good to me. It’s just suffering and smiling. I need to stick to my prices to get any business. Two hours costs N25,000; a quickie is N15,000, and the whole night is N30,000,” Peace said, adding that the prices were negotiable.
Speaking in an interview, a pimp, Dolapo Abiodun, said his workers had kept their old rates to remain competitive in the market.
Abiodun stated, “If I call any of these girls to work for you now for N5,000, she won’t turn you down. They don’t believe they’ll get customers; they don’t even stay out at night anymore. Some of them are returning to their villages because of the economic situation. Our customers don’t even come with cars anymore due to the high cost of fuel.
“Girls that I used to offer for N10,000 are now being priced as low as N1,000 or N1,500 because there’s no patronage. The economy has affected everything. These girls don’t have customers anymore.”
