The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, has called for a coordinated, multi-sectoral response to effectively combat human trafficking in Nigeria.
He emphasised the need for collaboration across all levels of government, federal, state, and local, as well as with international partners and civil society organisations to tackle the crime comprehensively.
Speaking at the 28th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum (NSCF) on Trafficking in Persons on Wednesday in Abuja, the AGF, represented by Mrs Victoria Ojogbane, Director of Research and Project Development, addressed the urgent need for collective action.
He emphasised that human trafficking was a transnational and highly organised criminal enterprise that could not be addressed in isolation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum was held in commemoration of the 2025 International Day Against Human Trafficking, themed “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime: End the Exploitation.”
“Human trafficking is no longer a crime that can be tackled by one agency or sector alone.
“It demands a united front and reinforced partnerships,” Fagbemi said.
He warned that trafficking operations were structured, profit-driven networks that generated more than 245 billion dollars annually, citing the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2023 report.
He said that 169.9 billion dollars was derived from sexual exploitation, while 75.9 billion dollars came from forced labour, including domestic servitude.
Fagbemi described the crime as a serious threat to national security, noting that Nigeria was a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking.
The AGF highlighted Nigeria’s alignment with international and regional legal frameworks such as the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its protocol on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
He said the Tinubu-led administration had introduced key reforms to address the root causes of human trafficking.
These, he said, included expanded social investment programmes such as conditional cash transfers, youth employment, and skills acquisition schemes.
He also highlighted justice sector reforms and strengthened mutual legal assistance mechanisms as part of the government’s efforts to address the root causes of trafficking.
“These efforts aim to reduce economic desperation and vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit,” he added.
Also speaking, Mr Cheikh Toure, Nigeria Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), noted that trafficking thrived in highly vulnerable Local Government Areas, where initial recruitment often occurs.
He urged the Federal Government to adopt a whole-of-government approach and adequately fund state task forces and local government focal points to deliver results on the ground.
“The battleground is the community. Prevention remains our strongest weapon,” Toure said.
He also called for consistent domestication and enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.
In her remarks, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said Nigeria’s adoption of the ECOWAS Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Strategy strengthened existing counter-trafficking structures.
She announced the inauguration of a revised National Data Collection System and a new National Dashboard on Human Trafficking, which would enhance reporting, analysis, and evidence-based policymaking.
“These tools are part of a broader data ecosystem that improves accountability and supports decision-making in the fight against trafficking,” she said.
Adamu-Bello also emphasised the need to begin early planning for a new national framework, as the current National Action Plan (NAP) on Human Trafficking (2022–2026) neared its conclusion.
She lauded the ongoing collaboration between NAPTIP, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and ECOWAS, aimed at domesticating the TIP+ Strategy.
The goal, she noted, was to integrate the strategy with broader national efforts addressing gender-based violence, irregular migration, and exploitation.
Vanguard News
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