On 21 October 2024, Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) convened a meeting to address the urgent issue of human trafficking under the project ‘From Policy to Action’ by implementing the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking 2022-2026. Following the alarming figures for human trafficking in this West African country, the European Union has also allocated EUR 8 million to fund two new projects to continue the fight against the threat of human trafficking in this West African country.
The escalation of human trafficking in Nigeria is a cause for concern, with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimating that between 750,000 and 1,000,000 Nigerians are trafficked each year. In response to these alarming figures, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) organised a high-level meeting on the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Trafficking in Persons 2022-2026 in Abuja on 21 October 2024.
We are defining our strategies in the implementation of the national action plan on human trafficking in Nigeria 2022-2026 through this platform, we seek to ensure that our work remains targeted effective and in line with the best practices.
Binta Adam’s Bello, Director general NAPTIP
The European Union has also announced that it will fund two new projects to the tune of EUR 8 million to continue the fight to combat the threat of human trafficking in Nigeria. In the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, the federal government said it had opened investigations into 698 cases, including 333 cases of sex trafficking, 172 cases of labor trafficking and 193 cases of unspecified forms of trafficking, according to the US State Department. The government calls for increased collaboration and strategies to tackle this crime.
The government of President Bola Amed Tinubu remains determined to recognise human trafficking for what it is, a crime against humanity.
Roseline Tasha, Director of Civil Rights, Ministry of Justice
The government stresses the crucial role of inter-agency cooperation, information sharing and community involvement in effectively disrupting trafficking networks.