Informal Settlement and Teenage Prostitution in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Informal settlement which sometimes used as synonym of slum, has over the years led to various social problems such as prostitution and many others. Base on this, the paper examined informal settlement and teenage prostitution in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Two objectives were raised as guide to the study. The study area is Yenagoa which is the capital city of Bayelsa State. The study used the survey design, and also adopted primary and secondary sources. 150 respondents constituted the population size and purposive sampling technique was also adopted. Mean and standard deviation and t-test constitutes the method for data analysis. The findings revealed that urban slum settlement and poor family background are responsible for teenage prostitution in Yenagoa. The study concludes and recommends for urban renewal programme for the slum dwellers as well as government and other institution even individuals to embark on economic empowerment programmes for slum dwellers.