As the world marks the 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons under the theme “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime—End the Exploitation,” Nigerian authorities, civil society, and global partners are once again being urged to take more decisive and coordinated steps to combat one of the country’s most pressing human rights challenges.

Observed annually on July 30 since its United Nations General Assembly endorsement in 2014, this day draws global attention to the pervasive and complex crime of human trafficking. The commemoration serves not only as a moment of awareness but as a clarion call for urgent action.

A Growing Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

Between 2020 and 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) documented over 200,000 identified victims of trafficking globally. However, experts agree that this number only scratches the surface, with the actual count of unreported cases being exponentially higher.

Startlingly, nearly half of the victims identified by the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative during this period were under the age of 26, and around one in four were children. These figures paint a sobering picture of the sheer scale of the crisis. For Nigeria, these statistics resonate deeply, as the country continues to battle widespread trafficking that affects women, children, and increasingly, young men.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that female victims surged dramatically in 2019 and peaked in 2022. Male victimisation remained consistently lower but showed intermittent increases, such as notable spikes in 2018 and again in 2022.

Tactics That Evolve With Technology and Desperation

Human traffickers have become more sophisticated in their methods, continuously adapting to technology and exploiting desperation to recruit victims. From promises of overseas scholarships and jobs to deceitful contracts for domestic work in countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, and the UAE, traffickers rely on deceit to manipulate their targets.

According to the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Bello, some of these job opportunities are fronts orchestrated by organ harvesters. Others involve exploiting victims through supposed marketing jobs or as domestic workers, who are later subjected to physical abuse, sexual exploitation, or forced labour.

Beyond international borders, domestic networks in Nigeria continue to trap victims in fraudulent loan repayment schemes, online scams, and the operation of so-called “baby factories.” The exploiters often take advantage of cultural myths, revenge pornography, and superstition to exert control over their victims.

In many cases, traffickers coerce Nigerians seeking to migrate illegally into criminal enterprises or prostitution as a form of “repayment” for fake opportunities provided under the guise of benevolence.

A Bleak Report Card with Room for Urgent Improvement

Despite the establishment of dedicated agencies like NAPTIP and existing anti-trafficking laws, enforcement remains lacklustre. The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the United States Department of State revealed that the Nigerian government initiated investigations into 698 cases. These included 333 cases of sex trafficking, 172 cases of labour trafficking, and 193 others categorized under unspecified forms of trafficking.

However, low prosecution rates and limited access to justice for victims remain recurring concerns. Survivors often face prolonged delays in accessing support services or are retraumatized during judicial proceedings. Worse still, many remain silent due to stigma or fear of retaliation.

What makes the situation more alarming is how traffickers navigate through migration flows, exploit loopholes in labour and immigration systems, and use digital platforms to perpetuate their crimes across borders.

A Call to Action: Legal, Social, and Technological Solutions

If Nigeria intends to make meaningful progress in combating human trafficking, it must go beyond symbolic awareness campaigns. Concrete action is essential. First and foremost, law enforcement agencies must step up their efforts through proactive investigations and stricter implementation of anti-trafficking laws. This includes tracking and seizing criminal finances and identifying traffickers hiding behind legitimate business fronts.

Cross-border collaboration must also be intensified. Human trafficking is rarely confined within one country, and successful prosecution often depends on cooperation between nations. Partnering with foreign governments and international law enforcement agencies will allow for quicker identification of networks and disruption of trafficking routes.

On the domestic front, lawmakers must revise labour regulations to close loopholes that traffickers exploit, particularly those relating to the employment of domestic staff and recruitment agencies. Furthermore, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be supported to create more legitimate employment opportunities for Nigerian youths, thus reducing their vulnerability to deceptive offers from traffickers.

Raising Voices, Raising Awareness

Public education remains a powerful tool. More survivors should be empowered to tell their stories, not only to inspire hope but also to raise awareness about the tricks and tactics used by traffickers. Encouraging honest conversations around migration, economic hardship, and exploitation will help break the culture of silence and denial that emboldens traffickers.

Parents, teachers, community leaders, and faith-based organisations must all play active roles in disseminating information and creating support networks for at-risk individuals. Efforts must also be made to destigmatize survivors and provide accessible services such as shelters, psychological counselling, legal aid, and vocational training.

A Victim-Centred Approach to Justice

Ensuring justice for survivors must remain a central priority. This means putting the needs, safety, and dignity of victims first throughout the investigation and judicial process. The country must adopt a holistic and victim-centred approach that includes rehabilitation, economic empowerment, and access to education for those affected by trafficking.

It also means holding traffickers accountable regardless of their social status, political connections, or international affiliations. No trafficker should escape justice due to institutional inefficiency, corruption, or a lack of political will.

A National Responsibility, A Shared Burden

Ending human trafficking in Nigeria requires the involvement of every stakeholder—government agencies, law enforcement, the judiciary, civil society, international partners, and ordinary citizens. Everyone has a role to play.

The economic conditions that make people vulnerable to trafficking—unemployment, insecurity, poverty—must also be tackled head-on. However, these structural reforms will only be meaningful if backed by genuine political commitment and consistent public pressure.

Ultimately, Nigeria must move from awareness to action. The time to act is now. If the country is to break the grip of traffickers and dismantle the systems that enable them, then it must treat human trafficking not merely as a social ill, but as a national emergency.

Ending the trade in human lives is not just a moral imperative—it is essential to safeguarding the dignity, rights, and future of every Nigerian.