Prostitution in Nigeria is illegal in all Northern States that uses the penal code and sharia law also known as Islamic law. In Southern Nigeria , the activities of pimps or madams, underage prostitution and the operation or ownership of brothels are penalized under sections , , and of the Nigerian Criminal Code. The Nigeria criminal system prohibits national and trans-national trafficking of women for commercial sex or forced labour. Colonial ideas surrounding sex and female sexuality affected the ways in which the sexual practices of Nigerian women were viewed.
In Pre colonial Nigeria there were many alternative viewpoints on female sexuality along with differing sexual practices. Traditionally in Nigeria there was a heavy emphasis put on chastity. Certain customs and practices were instituted to deter young girls from engaging in premarital sex. Young girls were put in confinement for some time depending on the wealth of their families, and received visits from older women who fed and taught them laws of the land and marital duties.
Among these duties were child care, cleaning, sewing, cooking, and how to act in front of one's husband. Also in Ancient Yoruba Kingdom, it is a must for the husband of the bride to show the families a white fabric soaked with blood of his bride on the night of the wedding as a proof that he meet her as a virgin, this brings respect and admiration from the groom family to the family of the bride as they acknowledge that their daughter is not promiscuous.
Although, chasity among young girls was placed with high regard, scholarly work reveals a variety of socially permissible sexual interactions outside marriage. An example of this is the act of adultery. A study conducted by Delius and Glasier, concluded that marriage in African societies was less about asserting control over women's sexuality and more about making sure child births were consistent with efficient labor productivity.
During the mid to late 19th century concubinage , also became more widespread in Nigeria, due to the mass transportation of male slaves. Nigeria was under British colonial rule until s when she gained her Independence. Their presence was hardly invisible and they influenced both the creation of prostitution in Nigeria and the stigma that comes with it. The demographic and commercial changes also expanded to commoditization of sex and by , commercial sex services had become prevalent.
