A newly international economy and the second oldest profession

In describing hotels I mentioned a second bar at the Sheraton Abuja. Only two types of men enter the Elephant Bar: the clueless newbie and the man looking to buy some female company. There is a bathroom right around the corner, and there is a constant stream of ladies going in/out to touch up their lipstick or whatever else.

Bad camera photo, but this is luggage for one one Nigerian.

You would be surprised how many find work. You can watch them leave, usually in the company of graying, partially balding older white guy with a bit of a gut. It ties into something that I see around more than I thought, and which is both fascinating and a bit disgusting. I see a good number of white guys of the same ilk with significantly younger black girls in tow that are obviously more than one night squeezes. They could be married, but I highly doubt it in most cases. I think it’s a classic mistress case; she certainly isn’t with the guy for his looks most of the time, so it has to be the money and the chance to get out of the country a bit. The best place to see this is at airports, watching young, tall, trim black girls pull their matching Louis Vuitton bags behind their men. Most of guys look European.

There is a fair contingent of unattached, salty oil roughnecks who work in Nigeria for prolonged periods, get paid very well, and have nothing to do around here. Maybe this accounts for some of it. I’m assuming I have a fairly good grasp the typical girl’s story, but the guys are more puzzling.