FG Cracks Down on Underage Lodging: Hotels Warned to Comply

The Federal Government has issued a warning to hoteliers across the country, cautioning them against accommodating teenagers and underage girls on their premises. Failure to comply will result in sanctions.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, delivered this warning on Saturday at the “Unlock Training and Grants” ceremony in Abuja.

The event, organized by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Abiola Arogundade, saw 200 young entrepreneurs receive N100m in grants. In January 2023, students from Federal Government College in Ijanikin, Lagos, were caught leaving school to lodge female classmates in hotels for sexual activities. Similarly, in April 2022, a video clip of a 15-year-old boy attempting to lodge two girls and another guy in a hotel room went viral on social media.

The Minister vowed that such incidents would no longer be tolerated. To emphasize the seriousness of the Federal Government’s stance, hoteliers in the Federal Capital Territory have been directed to display a signpost outside their hotels warning against lodging underage girls. School proprietors have also been warned to prevent bullying among students.

The Minister announced that the Federal Government has commenced an investigation into the recent viral video of 10 Nigerian teenagers rescued from Ghana, where they were trafficked for prostitution. Action will be taken on the matter starting next Monday.

The government is determined to address these issues and ensure the protection and well-being of young Nigerians.