9 Nigerian Women Speak About Harassment in Lagos Markets

On Saturday, 30th January 2020, a Nigerian Twitter user @Levyngrey posted some videos of a girl being harassed in a market. It drew a lot of attention to popular viral content accounts on Twitter and Instagram, some users replied to the video with insensitive and victim-blaming statements. Comments like these sparked more people to speak on their own encounters at markets in Lagos, especially the ones that trade clothes.

I collated tweets from 9 Twitter users who chronicled their terrible experiences in markets, in an effort to ensure that the realities of women are acknowledged and not erased.

Nigeria is so unfair to women pic.twitter.com/koFsYhiDeM
— my name is (@levyngrey) January 29, 2021

You went to Yaba market with shorts? Those of us that go wearing trousers and top, ee get why.
Been going to Yaba market for 3 years and I have never been harrassed both day and night. https://t.co/hoiskniOk4
— Mama (@IsiomaEllen) January 30, 2021

I was covering my head when one guy harassed me at Oshodi, threatened to cut off my legs with axe cause to him I was doing Shakara.
— Falilat (@Falilatt_) January 30, 2021

I stayed in Radiography hall, yaba im my first two years in unilag and I had to walk through yaba market to get to the shuttle everyday. Early in the morning, these men would drag us and harrass those that resisted, regardless of what you wore. Hijabis had it worse because
— Robert Carlifonia (@rachm0re) January 30, 2021

A friend has caught a guy peeping from the next shop when she was trying out the jeans he was about to sell to her. At Yaba market.

Why I never tried on clothes in markets. I’ll just tell them I’m bringing it back if it doesn’t fit & take it home. https://t.co/m9ggBh0oLb
— I am (@RitaOnwurah) January 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/___faattimah/status/1355505939256901632?s=20

The last time I went to Yaba, I branched somewhere to cry because even when I was trying to fight back the people touching me inappropriately, other men trooped out as if they wanted to beat me. https://t.co/R3szdh7V7i
— ‘Miss Taiwo (@ItsMisola) January 30, 2021

I wore my knee length dress on this beautiful day in Owerri, dress moved up while sitting in keke. This keke riders close to GIG on Egbu road harassed my life that day because there was traffic. The guy in the vehicle close to the keke told me to hide my phone else they steal it.
— DessyDelightTreats//PBD/0296 (@dessydelight) January 30, 2021

Which yaba please??ñ
The last time I went to yaba I kept shouting *no dey touch me* I was tired https://t.co/8WLshUdi32
— London G!rL ✨🦋 (@the_rebeccah) January 30, 2021

I stayed at a hostel in yaba for 2 years.
Everytime I wake up in the morning, I'm usually upset just thinking about walking down to enter campus shuttle.
Every goddamn day, you have to fight off men from touching you inappropriately and you have to listen to them say stuff like https://t.co/aY1pnwEndQ
— Sunburst🌤️ (@Sunburst_99) January 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/zeeh_s/status/1355587783654596609?s=20

9 Nigerian Women Speak About Harassment in Lagos Markets

Halimah Adisa

Latest from Culture

Sexual Violence Crisis: Nigerian Women Are Not Safe

In The Holy Name of Finding a Life Partner: How Far Are You Willing To Go To Get Married?

What IShowSpeed’s Lagos Visit Says About The Begging Culture In Nigerian Urban Cities

Can Lagos Handle Another Detty December?

16 Days of Activism 2025 Recap: Digital Violence Affects Nigerian Women In and Out of The Music Industry