The Minister of Women Affairs, Honourable Uju Ohaneye, announced that the Federal Government will no longer permit underage girls to be lodged in hotels across Nigeria.
This decision is part of broader efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly involving Nigerian girls.
Ohaneye revealed this during the Graduation and Grant Presentation event for youth who participated in the Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education program, organized by the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Technical Education, Abiola Arogundade, over the weekend.
Her comments followed a trending video showing Nigerian girls, aged 15-16, trafficked to Ghana for prostitution. In addition to the hotel lodging ban, Ohaneye emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to preventing premature deaths by ensuring hospitals do not reject emergency patients.
“Women have been suffering in this country. Today, we have discussed allowing the poor to breathe in this country,” she stated. “I am sure you saw the video circulating about our girls taken to Ghana. Did you see it? Very good.
Action will start on Monday. You will hear about our action first thing on Monday morning. That is the first thing I am going to address and see what we can do about it.”