A Nigerian woman has raised a stir online after disclosing how sex work became her only successful means of making money after attempting many respectable companies to make ends meet.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, the woman narrated her story of how she attempted to make a living by selling granite and sachet water, running a salon and doing make-up.
She says none of the enterprises earned enough to meet her financial demands and she struggled to pay the bills and buy basic supplies.
She said she eventually resorted to sex business, often called olosho in Nigerian language, claiming it had paid more than her prior ventures.
“I am not a lazy girl. I’ve done every kind of business you can think of in this world to survive but none worked. Guess which one worked for me? She said, ‘Olosho work.’
The woman said her decision was not out of laziness, but a fight for survival after attempts to find other sources of income failed.
She also said that she will continue with the line of work no matter what criticism or condemnation she may face from members of the public, saying that she would remain in the profession until she dies.
The woman also solicited to prospective clients to contact her, saying her services were pricey.
Social media users have responded to her admission with a variety of opinions. Some have said she should just concentrate on what works for her, but others have questioned what her decision could mean in the long run.
One person said prostitution was not an easy career and another quipped that he was thinking of becoming a gigolo. Others expressed worry about growing old and the future of continuing in the work.
“Olosho work sef no easy,” one commented. Another said, “Dey do anything wey dey work out for you U no need explain to us.”
The woman’s story has also sparked wider conversations about the financial difficulties some Nigerians encounter in starting viable enterprises amid the rising cost of living and economic pressures.
She reveals this against the backdrop of Nigerian law criminalising prostitution.
A Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a complaint seeking fundamental rights for commercial sex workers in March 2025, with Justice James Omotosho stating that prostitutes have no legal rights under any recognised statute or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court said the Penal Code allowed for the arrest and prosecution of commercial sex workers and a jail sentence of up to two years, calling prostitution “an anathema in Africa.”
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