The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed worries over the level of hunger in the country, even as it disclosed that men and women exchanged sex for food during the COVID-19 lockdown.
President of the association, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja during the launching of CAN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
He warned that the country might experience a season of sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls, if government failed to urgently address the food insecurity in the country.
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Ayokunle, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise investment in food production so as to reduce hunger and expedite economic wellbeing of the people, especially women and girls.
His words: “Economic challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak posed a serious threat to young women’s work and business activity and exposed them to increased risk of exploitation and abuse.
“We observed that higher levels of food insecurity and hunger led women and men to exchange food for sex. So, we urge the government to do more to reduce hunger in the land, which will help to fight gender-based violence in Nigeria.”
