Lagos State, Nigeria - Family Health International

10. State Summary and Conclusion
The study was carried out in five Lagos LGAs (Ojo, Lagos
Mainland, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ikeja and Epe) 15 - 21
February 2001. Each LGA fulfilled the criteria of both
“risk groups” and “risk setting”.
Data collection methods included community-derived participatory
approaches and structured assessment tools.
Multiple collection methods were used. Informants or
respondents were selected purposefully. Fieldwork was
conducted simultaneously in all selected LGAs/sites.
The researchers were FHI/Nigeria staff, consultants,
research assistants, stakeholder representatives (State
Hospital Management Board; ministries of Health,
Education and Youth, the LGA and others such as the
AIDS Action Manager and NGO partners).
Major Findings From the Five
Local Government Areas:
HIV/AIDS Epidemic
The in-depth assessment confirms high prevalence of
HIV/AIDS in Lagos State – the official figure of 6.7 percent
may in fact be lower than the actual rate. This suggestion
is based on our observation and/or information
gathered from informants about the risk-group. In Ojo
LGA, for example, over 3000 sex workers were identified
in the study sites alone; these women are actively patronised
by various segments of the population.
Female Sex Workers
Sex workers were found in strategic locations throughout
the state – usually in hotels and brothels as permanent or
temporary workers. Very poor FSWs were located mainly
in the brothels. Charges range from N50 to N300 per
round with a minimum of N1200 per night, depending on
a client’s status and the level of sophistication/attractiveness
of the sex worker.
An estimated 9000 FSWs were identified in four of the five
LGAs sites (excluding Ikeja) – this figure does not include
casual sex workers such as students or low income women
(petty traders) or men with multiple sex partners.
It is interesting to note that Ojo and Ajeromi/Ifelodun
LGAs are responsible for about 90 percent of sex workers
reported in the Lagos State sites. It should be pointed out,
however, that the high concentration of sex workers in
Lagos is partly due to the state’s heterogeneous nature in
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Lagos State
terms of ethnicity and the attendance sexual permissiveness
characteristics of an urban setting. For instance, Epe,
more of a rural setting, recorded only 300 sex workers
(3.3 percent). In addition, many of the FSWs are actually
not indigenes of the state; they are mostly from West
African Coast and other states within the Federation.
Truckers/Bus Drivers
Truckers are evident throughout the state. Bus drivers
operate luxurious buses owned by individuals, groups,
companies or organisations.
Their major sexual partners are FSWs and students from tertiary
institutions. They also have ‘girl-friends,’ usually petty
traders who are readily available. These girl-friends also
provide accommodation when truckers cannot afford hotels.
Vulnerable Populations
Other vulnerable populations identified include uniformed
men, civil servants, construction workers and
petty traders. Most engage in casual unprotected sexual
intercourse. Their exact number cannot be ascertained –
but they are many. In Ajeromi-Ifelodun alone, 590 were
identified; another 500 were found in the relatively small
community of Epe.
In-School Youth
Education is a major industry in Lagos State – a reflection
of the large number of youths here. In Ojo LGA, for
example, there are 39 primary schools in the study sites,
14 secondary and five tertiary institutions. A similar pattern
exists in Lagos Mainland LGA: 56 primary schools,
39 secondary and five tertiary.
Lagos State is one of the most densely populated – if not
the most densely populated – in terms of youths in school.
This has many implications for HIV/AIDS intervention
programs.