We have a sexuality problem in Nigeria!

Nigerians are obsessed with sex. We just pretend not to be.

 Quote: “According to Gary Wilson, a globally renowned neurologist, the devastating effects of long term consumption of porn on the developing brain include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), social anxiety and depression.”

In 2015, I worked on two projects: Jack &Jil Therapy, a free telephone platform for those seeking help for sexuality addictions and #SaveMirabel, a movement to raise urgent funds for Lagos’ only rape crisis centre – The Mirabel Centre. My work on these projects uncovered a wealth of information about sexuality in Nigeria.

In 2014, the popularity of Nigerian Google searches for porn on a scale of 0 to 100 was above 80.  (Google ranks as 100 any item that constitutes 10% or more of all searches in a country.)  The average monthly searches for a single indicator for porn totaled 165,000 and the States with the highest searches were: Lagos, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Abuja.  The popularity of rape porn videos was also above 80 while Nigeria ranked third globally for the most Google searches for Gay Porn.  (We were ranked second in 2013).

Since 2009, porn search popularity has risen above 70 every December, save one.  In December 2009 and 2010, Nigeria outstripped America in the popularity of searches for porn – a nation twice our size.  A popular porn site is among the top 50 sites visited by Nigerians according to Alexa.com.  It is more popular than the leading jobs and news sites.

From the foregoing, we can surmise that Nigerians have a robust interest in internet porn. This is not just a Nigerian phenomenon. According to Google Facts, porn sites get more visitors globally each month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined.

Some may argue that watching porn is part of the normal sexual exploration and growth of a young person and should be encouraged. But let’s consider commentary from leading neurologists.  According to Gary Wilson, a globally renowned neurologist, the devastating effects of long term consumption of porn on the developing brain include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), social anxiety and depression. Porn also numbs the ability to feel real life intimacy. The longer a brain is exposed to porn, the more hyperactive it becomes at the sight of porn, ultimately resulting in the erosion of will-power and self-control. A study published in 2014 by Cambridge University tracked the behaviours of compulsive porn users: over 50% of subjects (average age 25) had difficulty achieving erection with real partners yet could do so with porn. Porn is particularly appealing because of the novelty factor. With internet porn, you can experience more variety in 10 minutes of clicking than you may experience in an entire year of real life, hence, its appeal. But, consistent consumption rewires the brain of developing teenagers, leading to desensitisation, a drop in libido & will-power and eventually erectile dysfunction in real life scenarios.

It is interesting to note that those who are in the tobacco business speak about the principle of generational addiction. Because nicotine is addictive, if you can get people smoking when they’re young, you’re guaranteed a significant population of life-long customers. The same principle applies to porn. In Porn On The Brain, a UK Channel 4 documentary, a neurologist found that the brains of compulsive porn users were altered similarly to those suffering from other addictions.

Now, back to Nigeria. Nigeria currently enjoys about 37% internet penetration. This means 63 million people enjoy internet access, a significant portion of them being teenagers. (This is equal to the entire population of the UK.) In 2014, A.T. Kearney, the global consulting firm revealed the countries with the most devoted Internet users. Nigeria was number 2. Nigerians do not just have access to the Internet; they love to use it. Nigeria’s Ministry of Information & Communications projects that the country will have 76% broadband penetration by 2020. Are we ready for the increased access to Internet porn that this will create?

These are my main concerns: Will a nation without credible and well resourced policing structures be able to protect minors and the vulnerable from online solicitation or the expressions of sexual deviants and psychopaths?  We are already seeing growth in Google searches for child porn in Lagos. Who ensures that minors with little understanding of or a frame of reference for sexuality are protected from early access to sexual material? Who tells them that what they are seeing isn’t real? Who manages their expectations of real life intimacy? Who deals with the fall-out of a child whose first experience with sex may be cruelty and domination? Where are the professionals required to assist a growing youth population grappling with sexuality issues? Who treats the addicted?

According to the National Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP), there are only 42 Clinical Psychologists and 180 Psychiatrists registered with the association in Nigeria. Taken together, this is a ratio of 1 mental health professional to 766,000 Nigerian citizens. David Igbokwe, a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist posits that if we take into consideration the broader ecosystem of mental health professionals including those in private practice, Nigeria may have up to 1,200 mental health professionals. This is a paltry number if Internet porn addiction were to take firm root in Nigeria. Already, in one month of existence of the Jack &Jil Therapy platform, addiction to porn & masturbation has been the most reported issue.

In a society where the family unit is increasingly becoming fractured and where parental oversight is not what it used to be, we cannot afford to add a layer of sexuality issue to our national troubles. We simply do not have the structures in place to deal with it.

I have a deeper concern that there may be a link between increased access to violent sexual content (e.g. Nigeria’s growing interest in rape videos) and increased sexual violence. According to UNICEF, “one out of every four girls and one out of every ten boys in Nigeria suffers sexual violence.” The Mirabel Centre reports that 592 of their 845 patients are under the age of 18. This is 70% of the total number! In a 2014 spot survey of 1,000 random Nigerians conducted by NOI Polls [on behalf of Stand to End Rape (STER)], 49% of those surveyed stated they knew a child rape victim. But how much of sexual violence in Nigeria can be attributed to our cultural views of sex and how much can we begin to attribute to early access to sexual content online and on devices? We do not have enough data to say for sure.

In many countries where porn can be readily accessed by teenagers, there are legal, social, medical and spiritual structures in place to protect them and to counterbalance the effects. Nigeria does not yet have those structures; yet, our porn consumption rates are rising. To this end, Nigeria must consider a number of proactive actions as a matter of priority.

First, I am not an advocate for banning Internet content wholesale. Knee jerk reactions do not work. In developed countries, it has been found that sexual filters still let blogs and social networks through, so platforms like Snapchat and Tumblr can still distribute porn to teenagers. Instead, I recommend the following specific solutions:

1. Encourage structured conversations about sex among children and teenagers online, in homes, in schools and in places of worship. If porn is providing one perspective about sex, healthy alternative perspectives must be provided. Factual and age-relevant material about sex should be made available.
2. Ensure mobile network providers filter porn sites for underage groups and provide helpful information for those who are addicted.
3. Authority figures and counsellors must be up-to-date with popular culture and lingo on sexuality. According to Kelly Wallace, CNN’s digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life, there are many slangs and abbreviations that are used by teens while chatting about sexuality. Conversations with teenagers may require an understanding of these slangs which include: GNOC– Get naked on camera; PIR – Parent in room; 9 – Parent watching; SUGARPIC – Suggestive or erotic photo; WTTP – Want to trade pictures?
4. Institute policies and enforce strict penalties for the distribution of Internet porn featuring minors or the distribution of porn to minors. A cyber task force should be set up to monitor same.
5. Commission research to regularly measure consumption of Internet porn by children & teenagers in Nigeria and their resultant attitudes towards sex & sexuality.
6. Finally, keep conversations about sexuality in Nigeria on the front burner to help promote positive ideologies about sex.Subomi Plumptre

Subomi Plumptre is a social media and brand strategist at Alder Consulting. She writes from Lagos and can be reached at [email protected]