How Telegram's Failures Fuel Exploitative Prostitution in Nigeria

Telegram's encrypted messaging and privacy-focused features are being exploited to facilitate exploitative prostitution in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos. Private groups on the platform, such as 'Obawole, Ogba, and Iju Ishaga,' connect sex workers, known locally as 'hookups,' with clients, operating with a degree of anonymity that aids their illicit activities.

These groups, often named after specific areas in Lagos, function as private networks where sex workers can find clients and advertise their services. Unlike more overt platforms, these Telegram groups often avoid explicit keywords, relying on insider knowledge for access. The platform's capacity for large private groups (up to 200,000 members) and the ability to share large files, combined with features like hidden phone numbers, create an environment where such operations can flourish discreetly.

Shola, a 26-year-old who began her prostitution journey via Telegram in 2023, exemplifies the trend. She primarily finds clients through a private Telegram group, engaging in prostitution at hotels that facilitate the exchange of sexual activity for money. This model allows hotels to profit from both the prostitutes' earnings and the clients' spending on drinks and lodging, creating a symbiotic, albeit exploitative, business strategy.

The global sex industry is a multi-billion dollar market, with Nigeria accounting for a significant portion. The ease with which these networks can be established and maintained on Telegram highlights the platform's role in enabling and potentially exacerbating exploitative practices, raising concerns about its regulatory failures in combating such activities.

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The group’s name is that of an area within the Ifako-Ijaiye and Ikeja local government areas of Lagos State. The areas are not far apart, and the purpose of the group on Telegram is to connect prostitutes with clients living along the same axis.