If you know Yaba market, then you know it’s not for the weak.
For those who don’t, Yaba market is a popular clothing market on the Lagos mainland. Beyond cheap clothes and loud bargaining, it is also known for something darker.....harassment disguised as marketing. From unwanted touching to sexual comments, many people have been traumatized there, myself included. This is one of my stories.

I’ve had several encounters with different people in that market. Back when I was in senior secondary school, my friends and I usually go to this market almost every friday.  One time we went as we usually do, first we went to the spar complex, visited mama Tega, Bismid, Mini-so. We bought edibles, hair accessories, bag charms, lip gloss and many other things. By this time it was already past 5:30, which meant the night market had opened, we had just 1 hour to shop for clothes before we all bade each other goodbye. We  started towards the night market area, started our “bend down select” shopping. Mind you, we were all in our school uniforms (I won’t mention the name of the school, so our reps won’t be damaged 🙈) ppl kept on touching us “fine girls I get your size” someone said “stock jeans Dey, boyfriend Jean Dey too” another one said all attempting to grasp our arms. Like I said, it’s not for the weak. After getting all that we wanted to get we walked down a bit. For those that knew what Yaba market looked like before the bridge was made, we stood at the bus stop of phase 2, which was really close to the market, waiting for  bus going to sabo. All of a sudden, a man grabbed my arm. Out of reflex I yanked it away and said in pidgin, “No Dey touch me”, We were all still in uniform, the man laughed and said, “Why you dey do like say them no dey touch you? No be man go still touch you? Like say you no go like am if I touch you.”

I froze, i was thirteen maybe fourteen and In that moment, I realized he didn’t care that I was a child. He didn’t care that i was scared,to him i was just another body in the market.

That day stayed with me not because it was the first time I experienced harassment, but because it made me aware of how unsafe young girls are to feel in public spaces. Until this is addressed, the market will continue to traumatize or dehumanize more people than it serves.