Study Site Description

Benin City is the administrative headquarters of the Oredo Local Government Council and the capital of Edo State. Benin City is approximately 230 miles (370 kilometers) from the

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Federal Capital of Nigeria, Abuja (Figure 4.1). In 1991, the city had a population of over 760,000 people and was estimated to be over 1.2 million people in 2006 (Brinkhoff, 2009). The population of Benin City is ethnically and religiously diverse because of its central location in Edo State and the southern region of Nigeria. The central location of Benin City in Edo State facilitates the development of truck and bus stops near Benin City, such as at Aduwawa, Oluku junction, and Auchi and Aviele (Figure 5.1). These stops have become hubs for human

interaction and commercial sex activities (Omorodion, 1993; Onokerhoraye, 1995). Benin City is a gateway town to many cities in Nigeria. Furthermore, economic difficulties such as high unemployment and poverty expedite the growth of the city into an important hotspot for international trafficking of women and children (Unuigbe & Ogbeide, 1999; Fauci, 1999;

Adesina, 2006; Cole, 2006).

Benin City: History and Socio-cultural Characteristics

Benin City is the historic political headquarters of the ancient Benin Kingdom that had influence during its peak to the present day Republic of Benin in West Africa (Oronsaye, 1996).

The ancient city has evolved into a relatively modern urban center and home to various tertiary institutions of learning like the University of Benin and Benson Idahosa University (Aisien, 1995; Onokerhoraye, 1995; Ozo, 2009). Other important public institutions in Benin City include the College of Education, School of Health Technology, Edo State Nursing School, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and the Central (specialist) Hospital. Many industries—

such as brewery industries, bottling companies, and tertiary services like banking, insurance, and commerce—exist in the city. All these factors contribute to the phenomenal growth of Benin City during the last four decades (Onokerhoraye, 1995; Ozo, 2009).

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Demographic data shows that about 45 percent of the population of Benin City is young, between the ages of 18 and 30 years (Nigeria & ORC Macro, 2004). The population is

heterogeneous due to the centrality and functionality of institutions in Benin City that attract people of diverse cultures from the surrounding regions (Onokerhoraye, 1995). As a result, there are many languages and ethnic groups in the city. Although Bini is the dominant language, other languages spoken in the city include Esan, Etsako, Igbo, Isoko, Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Owan, Yoruba, and Hausa. Edo State also has cultural relationship with the Yoruba-speaking people in the west and the Igbo-speaking folks in the east (Omorodion, 1993). The cultural mixture influences different responses and views on sexual and non-sexual behavioral issues that affect the understanding of HIV/AIDS dynamics.

The rapid growth of Benin City into the administrative headquarters of Edo State has a number of implications for understanding social, environmental, economic, and health issues, such as the HIV/AIDS dynamics (Aisien, 1995; Ozo, 2009). The growth of Benin City outstrips its ability to provide sufficient employment (Okojie, 1984; Ozo, 2009), so residents work in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy. The occupations of residents include

government employees (civil servants), bankers, and other industrial workers in the formal sector. The occupations in the informal sector include itinerant trading for women, farming, commercial sex work, child labor, and street vending (Okojie, 1984). A number of commercial sex centers also exist in this sprawling ancient city. Of course, the growth of these commercial sex centers in the city is a trend that has implications for HIV/AIDS and STDs (Omorodion, 1993; Onokerhoraye, 1995).

Benin City serves as a nodal center connecting the southern and eastern states (Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, Enugu, and Abia States) to a number of western states,

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including Lagos, which is the economic nerve center of Nigeria (Figure 5.1). The city connects a number of northern states and the Federal Capital Territory - Abuja to the southern states (Figure 5.1). Figure 5.1 below shows the major routes and the truck stops in Benin City and Edo State.

Figure 5.1: Edo State showing Benin City and major roads to other states Source: Dept. of Lands and Surveys, Benin City 1986 & Djukpen 2003

Trafficking of women abroad for economic purpose emerges as a major factor in understanding HIV/AIDS in this study site (Cole, 2006). Recent reports show that over 50 percent of Nigerian commercial sex workers (mostly women) who repatriated from Europe

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(notably Italy) came to Benin City (IRIN, n.d.; Fauci, 1999; Adesina, 2006; Cole, 2006). In spite of the efforts of the Edo state government to stop the trafficking of women and young girls, most families see trafficking as the only way to survive economically. The implication is that any form of exposure to the world of sexual exploitation puts these girls and women at risk of HIV/AIDS infection. Another factor studied in Benin City site for HIV/AIDS prevalence is that many women and youths do not use adequate protection (condoms) against transmittable

diseases during sexual activities (Unuigbe & Ogbeide, 1999; Cole, 2006).

HIV/AIDS-related deaths in Benin City are highly stigmatized; as such, family members of the deceased prefer to report HIV/AIDS deaths as caused by diseases like fever, TB,

poisoning, and witchcraft (Omorodion, 1993; Okonofua, 1999; Unuigbe & Ogbeide, 1999;

Djukpen, 2003). Although there are no recently published data of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates for Benin City, a 1999 sero-prevalence survey of pregnant women in Edo State indicates a growth from 1 percent to 6 percent between 1993 and 1999. This indicates a high rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Benin City, but the geospatial cluster analysis in chapter 4 did not identify Benin City in Edo State as a hotspot. Nonetheless, the selection of these risk factors by respondents seems to create a different perspective for HIV/AIDS prevalence. Therefore, the questions for consideration here are included despite the low rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Edo State. Will the assessment of respondents reveal underlying dynamics of risk factors in Benin City, the state capital of Edo State?

There are also strong cultural practices and belief systems that enshrine male superiority into the female psyche during early socialization. Females’ financial dependence on men drives them to ‘survival practices’ that often involve unprotected sexual activities (Groenewold et al., 2005). Additionally, residents of Benin City reportedly have an early age of entry into active

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sex life: it is as low as 13 years for girls and 15 years for boys (Omorodion, 1993; Unuigbe &

Ogbeide, 1999). This implies that inexperienced youths may be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. These factors and practices work against the progress of women, especially, in Benin City. With the presence of all these risk factors for HIV/AIDS, the questions that need to be addressed are why is the reported HIV/AIDS rate low in this locality in comparison with the national average? Will respondents identify similar risk factors as in other cities in the high rate zone in Nigeria? The following section presents and discusses the results of the questionnaire that assessed the risk factor perceptions of respondents.