Lagos – Nike Ajibade and three of her colleagues sit on a Lagos pavement with small plastic bottles of liquids tucked inside weather-beaten plastic buckets.
The hidden bottles of so-called ‘viagra’ drinks sell for about $2 and are much sought-after for their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.
But medical professionals warn that rather than enhancing sexual prowess, regular users could be putting their long-term health at risk.
« Sales are high because of good patronage, » Ajibade, 27, told AFP.
« Most of my customers are manual labourers who need to boost their energy in bed after a hard day’s job under mostly inclement weather. »
Hundreds of hawkers ply the bustling streets of Lagos and other Nigerian towns and cities selling such « viagra » drinks, despite their unknown and untested effects on the male sex drive.
« They are creating health problems for themselves, » warned the dean of the University of Lagos’ faculty of pharmacy, Olukemi Odukoya.
« Unknown to them, some of these liquids have chemical substances which can cause liver or kidney problems, which are very expensive and difficult to manage. »
A promise of sexual potency
Viagra, taken to treat erectile dysfunction, costs between $5 and $11 per little blue pill in Nigeria – way beyond the means of most people who live on just $2 a day.
As a result, that creates a ready market for cheaper, apparent alternatives.
Besides the locally produced $2 bottles, others are imported, including so-called Alomo bitters which come from Ghana.
The Ghanian liquid is a blend of rich medicinal herbs and roots that are believed to cure back pains and piles but are considered an aphrodisiac in Nigeria.
Bootleg versions of the drink – with 42% alcoholic content – are available in the local market for about $4 for a 750 millilitre bottle.
Such drinks – all with names promising a nirvana of sexual potency — flood the Nigerian market every day, mostly via the country’s porous borders and seaports or past officials who turn a blind eye.
« I feel high and alright each time I have sex after consuming ‘koboko’ [horse whip] or ‘kondo’ [baton] drinks and my partner gives me a feeling of satisfaction, » said one young motor mechanic after buying a bottle.
Similar « aphrodisiac » drinks are found in other West African countries such as Togo and Benin under names such « XXL », « Rox » and « Atomic », finding a ready market of young male consumers.
There is no official control and medical warnings against their consumption are regularly ignored.
Unknown health risks
A senior lecturer in clinical pharmacy studies at the University of Lagos, Aderemi Williams, said no known scientific studies have been carried out on the drinks.

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