16:00 - 17:30
Room: Physics – Lecture Theatre 117
Stream: Lagos Studies Association
Herbal Aphrodisiacs, Masculine Sexual Insecurities and Emergent Entrepreneurs in Lagos
Gbemisola Animasawun
University of Ilorin, Ilorin

Amongst the most conspicuous street and road-side features of cities across Nigeria including contemporary Lagos are stalls and shops where locally brewed herbal aphrodisiacs are sold and heavily consumed by mainly men seeking erotic vigor and securities. In addition to its expansion of the informal economy and proliferation of new forms of socialization that cuts across classes, a new generation of women entrepreneurs and sex-therapists daily attracting increasing followers to their Facebook pages and Instagram handles is emerging on the social media – the most popular being Iyalaje Sobonton on Facebook and known on twitter as #ponkriyon. This study examines the phenomenon as a challenge from the margins that departs from orthodox notions and means of addressing sexual and libidinal problems as well as questioning socio-cultural and religious taboos on the kind of work women can do and especially the rights of women to openly talk about sexuality. Through the lived experiences of Iyalaje Sobonton and other emergent female sex experts on the streets and on-line, this study examines the non-violent defiance of taboos, the production of new forms of sexocialising, livelihood and a reordering of men-women relations in the public space and everyday life of Lagos.


Reference:
Tu-A25 Lagos Studies 4-P-002
Presenter/s:
Gbemisola Animasawun
Presentation type:
Panel
Room:
Physics – Lecture Theatre 117
Date:
Tuesday, 11 September
Time:
16:15 - 16:30
Session times:
16:00 - 17:30