Commercial sex workers in Lagos have revealed that they maintain their rates due to the economic hardship in the country, citing the need to consider their customers? financial constraints.

The sex workers told Saturday PUNCH that the current state of the economy has severely impacted socio-economic activities, leading to a decline in the number of clients seeking their services.

One of the prostitutes, Nneka Neli, who operates in the Egbeda-Igando area, explained that she couldn?t increase her rates because the number of men patronising her had significantly reduced.

Neli noted that keeping her prices affordable was necessary to retain her remaining customers, who were already struggling with the economic situation.

?I?ve kept my charges affordable for my customers. Some of them have even stopped coming because of the current economic situation in the country.

?I charge between N20,000 to N25,000 for the whole night, and N15,000 for a quickie or for one or two hours.

?Everywhere is now dry. We no longer have the rush of customers on Sundays like we used to. In this lodge, I pay N8,000 every day. Yesterday (Wednesday), I hadn?t even paid yet, and I need to hustle to cover it. The economy is affecting me.?

Another sex worker on LASU Road, Peace, described the economic situation as dire, lamenting that customers were no longer patronising her.

?This economy hasn?t been good to me. It?s just suffering and smiling. I need to stick to my prices to get any business. Two hours costs N25,000; a quickie is N15,000, and the whole night is N30,000,? Peace said, adding that the prices were negotiable.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, a pimp, Dolapo Abiodun, said his workers had kept their old rates to remain competitive in the market.

Abiodun stated, ?If I call any of these girls to work for you now for N5,000, she won?t turn you down. They don?t believe they?ll get customers; they don?t even stay out at night anymore. Some of them are returning to their villages because of the economic situation. Our customers don?t even come with cars anymore due to the high cost of fuel.

?Girls that I used to offer for N10,000 are now being priced as low as N1,000 or N1,500 because there?s no patronage. The economy has affected everything. These girls don?t have customers anymore.? (Saturday PUNCH: Text, Excluding Headline)

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