SEX WORKERS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL: ECHOES FROM SELECTED LAGOS NIGHTLIFE REDLIGHT DISTRICTS.

This ethnographic study delves into the intricate world of Lagos nightlife, focusing on the experiences of Sissy Eko, a colloquial term for sex workers navigating the city's underground queer scene. Against the backdrop of Nigeria's stringent laws and societal norms, this study investigates how Sissy Eko negotiates survival, identity, community, and resilience in the face of adversity. The study explores the Consequential theory to analyze how Sissy Eko subverts traditional notions of identity, gender, and sexuality and the Resilience Theory to understand the adaptive strategies employed by Sissy Eko to cope with adversity. The methodology adopted is the ethnographic research through which in-depth interviews and participant observation were conducted between 2023 and 2024, to explore the complex strategies employed by Sissy Eko to survive and thrive amidst inflation, pervasive social stigma, discrimination and insecurity. The findings reveal the creative coping mechanisms, solidarity networks, and extreme measures adopted that enable sex workers to subvert and resist hardship and marginalization. By exploring the voices, conversations and narratives of Sissy Eko, this research contributes to the growing body of scholarship on queer African experiences, challenging dominant discourses and shedding light on the intricate dynamics of survival and self-expression in one of Africa's largest urban centers Lagos. Ultimately, this study advocates for acceptance and policy reforms to safeguard the human rights and dignity of sex workers in Lagos Nigeria. This study contributes to Gender, African studies, and Sociology, offering new insights into the complex dynamics of queer survival and resilience in Africa's largest urban city.