ABSTRACT
Colonial rule significantly shaped the foundations of what became known as the sex trade in Africa. Naneen’s description of sex trade involving Nigerians in the colonial Gold Coast is useful in understanding the organization and operations of trans-border sex trade, its reliance on cultural networks to move and settle, and the perceptions of the host community of Nigerian sex workers. While some commentators have called attention to the parallels between the current international sex trade in Nigeria and the slave trade, others have described the trade as a major commentary on the failure of international laws and the waning capacity of the contemporary Nigerian state to protect its citizens. The reponse of both the colonial and post-colonial government in Nigeria to cross-borders in these two eras was similar. The state in both periods has also given little attention to addressing the socio-economic marginalization issues that triggered women’s entry into cross-border sex trade.
