Consent, Alcohol and Dating Culture Among Lagos Youth in the 2000s

Growing up in Lagos in the early 2000s, before social media made public accountability easier, I saw troubling attitudes around dating, alcohol and consent. Some young men treated getting a woman drunk as a dating strategy. Pressure and persistence were often praised as “game,” while clear consent was barely discussed. Women could then be unfairly judged or mocked for experiences shaped by coercion. Public conversations about consent have challenged many of these attitudes. For men who grew up in that era, it is worth asking: what did we participate in, excuse or normalise? More importantly, how can we teach younger people that consent must be clear, voluntary and respected?

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