THE UNSPOKEN HARASSMENT ON NIGERIAN STREETS; WHY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT CONSENT.

HARASSMENT ON NIGERIAN STREETS

There’s a certain mindset you have to switch into before stepping out in Nigeria because once you leave your house, peace is no longer guaranteed. You’re not just walking to where you’re going, you’re preparing to be stopped, touched, dragged, shouted at and recruited into transactions you never signed up for, all while being expected to stay calm and polite.

We honestly dont talk about the harassment we face on Nigerian streets enough. You’re simply walking, not window-shopping, not bus-hunting, not looking lost, just walking, yet every few steps someone is calling you, blocking your way or grabbing your arm like your presence automatically means interest. At that point, you start to wonder if personal space is a luxury item that didn’t make it into the Nigerian market.

If I Wanted to Buy Something, I Would Have Stopped

This one should be obvious, but apparently it isn’t. When people want to buy things, they stop walking, they move closer, they ask questions and they show interest. What they don’t do is speed past your stand while avoiding eye contact. So why does walking turn into a physical struggle?

Traders don’t just call out anymore, they hold your hand, pull you back, grab your clothes and insist you at least check it out as if force will suddenly activate interest. What should be a simple no turns into you trying to free yourself while being made to feel unreasonable for not wanting to buy something you didn’t ask for in the first place.

Bus Conductors and the Art of Dragging Human Beings

Then there’s the bus conductors who have also perfected this behaviour. You can’t walk past a bus stop without someone grabbing you and shouting destinations you never asked about directly into your ear. There’s no conversation, no consent, just a sudden pull as if you’ve already agreed to enter the vehicle.

If someone wants to enter a bus, they walk towards it, they ask questions and they step in willingly. Being dragged mid-walk should not be part of public transportation, yet it has become so normal that people barely react until it turns aggressive.

They See No Problem Until You React

The most annoying part of this whole thing is that nobody sees a problem with touching or dragging you until you react. They can invade your space, pull your body and disrupt your movement, but the moment you raise your voice or ask them not to touch you, you suddenly become the rude one.

Now you’re disrespectful, dramatic or proud for refusing to be handled like an object. Youre expected to be silent and endure and when you try to set boundaries, they feel insulted, as if basic self-defense is a personal attack.

Hustle is not an Excuse for Disrespect

This conversation is not about looking down on traders or transport workers, and it’s not about ignoring the reality of survival. People are trying to make a living, yes, but making a living should not involve violating other people’s bodies or comfort.

You can market your goods without grabbing people, you can call passengers without dragging them. Hustle does not cancel consent and survival does not require manhandling strangers.

Sometimes People Just Want to Walk

Not everyone outside is in the mood to buy something or enter a bus, sometimes people just want to walk from one place to another without being touched, dragged or shouted at. That should not be too much to ask.

If someone believes what you’re offering is for them, they will stop on their own. Until then, asking not to be touched is not disrespectful, it is a completely reasonable response to a problem we have normalized for far too long.