Growing concerns have been raised over the increasing presence of underage girls involved in commercial sex work around parts of Jos, the Plateau State capital.
One location attracting attention is Nana Plaza, a commercial building situated near the busy Old Airport Junction. By day, the plaza accommodates legitimate businesses, including shops and offices. However, residents say the area transforms at night into a hub of various informal activities, including street food vending, alcohol sales, and other late-night enterprises.
According to findings by a local reporter who visited the area, the open space behind the plaza becomes a gathering point for young girls, some reportedly below the age of 18, who engage in transactional sex.
Interviews with several of the girls revealed a range of factors driving them into the trade, including poverty, family breakdown, displacement caused by violence, unemployment, peer influence, and lack of parental support.
One teenage mother explained that she turned to sex work after becoming pregnant at a young age, being abandoned by the child’s father, and subsequently losing family support. She said the need to provide for her child pushed her into the lifestyle.
Another teenager, who said she was displaced from her community following violent attacks, recounted how harsh living conditions and the struggle to care for younger siblings led her to seek survival opportunities in the city.
An 18-year-old mother of two attributed her situation to negative peer influence, saying she dropped out of school and became involved in prostitution while trying to make ends meet. She expressed regret over her choices but said economic hardship had made it difficult to leave the trade.
The accounts highlight broader social challenges affecting vulnerable young people, including poverty, displacement, inadequate social protection, and limited access to education and employment opportunities.
As of the time of the report, government authorities had not issued an official response to the concerns raised about the growing presence of underage girls in commercial sex activities within the city.
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