CHAPTER ONE

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Prostitution is said to have been in existence from time immemorial. It is one of the oldest professions in the world and it is referred to in the bible and ancient times like the Romans, Greek and Egyptian biblical times. Prostitution is the act of involving oneself in illicit sexual intercourse or relationship with an opposite sex, either for money making or for pleasure. It is the business or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment.

According to Misi (2008), prostitution is the use of one’s body for the purpose of remuneration or consideration of any form. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called “a prostitute” or “sex worker” (Wikipedia 2013). This definition agreed that there is indiscriminate sexual relationship involve in prostitution especially for monetary gains. Furthermore, observations made by researchers’ shows that prostitution has now become more lucrative in campuses or basically higher learning institutions. This is because; men no longer patronize brothels and street prostitutes. Rather, they prefer students.

It is mind blogging that the Nigerian society is fast dripping towards social backwardness. The idea of morality in Nigeria is fast losing its essence. It is often said that the ivory tower is the last stage of molding leaders of tomorrow, and if is such towers are now saturated with threats of prostitution and its consortium, and then the nation is in deep crisis. Prostitution has continuously been seen as a social problem for the society, especially in large patriarchal settings. In such societies, the women that practice prostitution are seen as immoral and blamed for the spread of HIV, based on the assumptions of the definition of women as carriers of sexually transmitted diseases, and the moralistic believe that sex is bad. AIDS is seen as a woman’s disease and as a prostitute’s disease and prostitutes however are seen as representatives of what is bad (McFadden 1992:189)

Olugbile (2008) wrote that, peer influence is everywhere on campus, where everyone wants to be like the others and end up prostituting. The bad girls that embrace prostitution gradually corrupt the more conservative ones. There is no tertiary institution that is immune of this crisis. Moreover, some universities are not helping matters. Their fees are so high that it is hard to understand where they expect the students to get the money from. Being in a precarious condition, they resort to prostitution based on the fact that they are looking for money to settle their school bills.

However, it has been argued by some researchers that the rise in campus prostitution is the direct result of the growing rate of poverty and hopelessness in country; occasioned by failure of leadership over the years. While others are of the opinion that the rise in campus prostitution in Nigeria is purely the product of the society by the new corps of leaders in the country. These general hopelessness and fear is what is propelling these mothers of tomorrow to sell their God gifted body for a patterning sum for money to take care of themselves in school amidst parental neglects and inactions.

Similarly, Misi (2008) also pointed out that the politicians and governmental officials are not left out in the cause of female students’ prostitution. According to him, anytime this politicians and government officials visit the university town on official work, the pimps recruit for them young university girls for their relaxation and refreshment, at the end of which they settle then with huge sums of ill- gotten money. Due to the fact that these girls glorify wealth, some of them therefore do what it takes to belong by taking to prostitution.

Nevertheless, it is very pertinent that over the years, Nigerian leaders have failed to come up with a passionate moral blueprint and religiously implementing such policies for the development of this country. What we have had was bonds of thieves who do not care if others are starving, being or going astray in an attempt to satisfy their insatiable greed. The failure of the Nigerian leaders to develop the nation seriously led to a widened gap between the poor and the rich. This gap has however come with its repercussion in the name of social vices such as prostitution, drug trafficking and bankruptcy. A visit to females’ hostels at night will make this point clearer as you would see all kinds of flashy cars that comes to pick this young undergraduate girls for one function or the other (Olugbile, 2009) which is rather pathetic for this nation and its people.

Furthermore, because of the ways these students are used and their connections in high places, they no longer respect their lecturers or constituted authorities in their respective schools. It also serves as a hindrance to the excellence and quality of graduates that turnout every year. The values of hard work, research and intellectual pursuit has been thrown to the dustbin of history; as most of these students have already believe that the only thing they need is to bribe the lecturers involve both in cash and kind to get the required marks. It is incumbent upon parents to seriously monitor and provide their wards with moral upbringing that will be a light that will always guide them even in their absence.

In conclusion, prostitution is a bad omen for motherhood and excellence and unless this is stopped, it will be self perpetuating and will have disastrous consequences for the educational system, the economy and the society as a whole.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Prostitution has done much harm to those that are involved in the business as well as the society at large. Owing to the fact that most of these females undergraduates move out with unknown clients, Uzokwe (2008) opined that they are easy tools in the hands of ritual killers and kidnappers. Moreover, when a woman accepts money for sex, she has conferred to the man the authority and power to endure brutality, rape and other crime against her behind closed door which however may result to unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage, emotional health consequences such as severe trauma, stress, depression, anxiety and self medication through alcohol and drug abuse.

Based on the above, the researcher set out to investigate the factors responsible for prostitutions in Ogun State, Nigeria. Specifically, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria.

1.3       PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Against this background, this study set out to investigate the prevalence of prostitution among female students in tertiary institutions, and to also find out the factors responsible for prostitution among females students. Thus, it intends to:

1. 1.Explore how socio-economic factor could be responsible for female prostitution in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
2. 2.Scrutinize how disrupted family background is responsible for female prostitution.
3. 3.Investigate if poverty level influences rate of female prostitution in tertiary institutions.
4. 4.Examine if peer group will play a role in cur burg the rate of prostitution in tertiary institutions.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

           The research questions guiding the study are:

1. What are the causes of prostitution among female undergraduates?
2. What are the effects of prostitution?
3. Could socio-economic factors be responsible for prostitution in tertiary institutions?
4. Could poverty level and single parenting be a factor responsible for the high rates of female prostitution in tertiary institution?
   1. 1.5RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Based on the above research questions, the following hypothesis would be tested.

Ho1 There is no significant difference in the effect of single parenting and the factors responsible for female students’ prostitution in tertiary institutions.

H02 There is no significant relationship between media influence and the factors that is responsible for female involvement in prostitution.

H03 There is no significant relationship between socio-economic influence and the factors responsible for prostitution among female students in tertiary institutions.

1. 1.6SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study is that the findings of this research will provide information to female students and other undergraduates from various institutions of higher learning, specifically the females, on the dangers inherent in prostitution. The study would also be useful and of great importance and value to most governmental and nongovernmental agencies and health educators in Ijebu ode, Ogun State in planning functional educational programs or curriculum, and adequate campaign against prostitution.

Lastly, the study would help to increase enlightenment campaign to educate the youths (specifically the females) and their parents on the havoc of female prostitution and its prevalence on the individual and the society at large.

1. 1.7DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The delimitation of this study is the combination of the scope and the limitation of the study.

This study will be delimited to Olabisi Onabanjo University, AgoIwoye and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The coverage area of the scope of this study is the prevalence of prostitution among the female students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, and the factors responsible for this social vice in institutions in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

1. 1.8DEFINITION OF KEYWORDS

Prostitution: - is the act of engaging in sexual intercourse or performing other sex acts in exchange for money, usually without any emotional attachment. It is thus characterized by three elements, payment, promiscuity and emotional indifference.

Prostitute: - A prostitute is a person who is paid to provide sexual intercourse or other sex acts to male or female customers. And in derogatory sense, the term has been used as whore, sluts etc. they are also locally refer to as Olosho. The usage of these words are however considered pejorative and as less value laden terms. Also, those who work within the sex industry uses ‘‘sex worker’’ to describe someone who is a member of the illegitimate profession.

Pimps: - Pimps are often used as synonym for anyone who lives of the proceeds of prostitution. They are also called a ‘flesh monger’ and ‘pander’. They manage people in prostitution in brothels and on the streets for the purpose of profiting their earnings. pimp In some countries, the term ‘pimp’ extends to a prostitute’s landlord, partner, cohabitat etc.

Brothels: - They are also known as bordello, whore house, cat house etc. They are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. A brothel is a house where people pay to have sex with prostitutes. They are usually found in rundown inner city.

Sexual Promiscuity: - This is the act of indulging or having sexual intercourse with several casual acquaintances. It also denotes sex with relatively many partners.

Johns or Punters: - They are some of the terms used to describe anyone who buys the sexual services of another person. A client is another name that is used to refer to John or punter. It is quite straight forward if the ‘services’ are those of a consenting prostitute where prostitution is legal, ut where the prostitute is under the age of consent, the client is known as ”a pedophile”. Also, in cases where the client is far older than the prostitute, he is locally referred to as an “aristo”.

Child Prostitute: - This is a prostitute who is under the age of consent. The concept of child prostitute is a different concept because its conceptualization varies depending on who is using it or the country in which it is being used Misi and Louis, 2008). The term child prostitution and child prostitute carries problematic connotations as both terms failed to make it clear that children cannot be expected to make an informed choice to practice prostitution themselves.However, for the purpose of this study, a child prostitute is anybody under the age of 18 who involves in the rendering of sexual services for money.

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