Jagua Nana is a 1961 novel by Nigerian novelist Cyprian Ekwensi.^[1] The novel was later republished in 1975 as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series.

The novel focuses on the contradictions within the life of an aging sex worker, the title character Jagua Nana.^[2] The novel is set in the city of Lagos.^[3] The novel has been compared to works by Charles Dickens, in terms of its moral assessment of the city and city life, and its critique of the social problems faced by people living in those cities.^[2][3] Critics of the work in the 1980s noted that the novel relies heavily on stereotypical depictions of women, hampering its depiction of life in Africa.^[1] another International edition was published June 26, 2018.

Jagua Nana is a story about the lives and affairs of an aged Lagos prostitute. Jagua, in her pursuit of happiness, takes on a much younger boyfriend whom she offers to send to England to study law with her savings on the condition that they return as husband and wife.