Stakeholders Call for Stronger Regional Collaboration to Combat Human Trafficking in Africa By Saheed Badmus

Stakeholders Call for Stronger Regional Collaboration to Combat Human Trafficking in Africa

By Saheed Badmus

Stakeholders in the humanitarian sector have called for stronger inter-agency cooperation and enhanced regional collaboration to combat the growing menace of human trafficking across Africa.

The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a roundtable organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Humanitarian Services. The event, themed “Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Coordination for Sustainable Reparation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Vulnerable Migrants,” brought together government officials, development partners, security agencies and civil society organisations to explore sustainable strategies for addressing trafficking and supporting survivors.

In her opening remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, described human trafficking as one of the most pressing humanitarian and human rights challenges confronting Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

She lamented that thousands of Nigerians particularly women, children and young people continue to fall victim to trafficking syndicates, exposing them to forced labour, sexual exploitation and other forms of modern slavery.

According to her, many victims endure unimaginable suffering, deprivation and abuse before becoming stranded in foreign countries.

“These realities remind us that trafficking is not merely a migration issue; it is a grave violation of human rights and an assault on human dignity that demands a coordinated national response,” she said.

Akande-Sadipe cited the recent evacuation of vulnerable Nigerians from South Africa and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Ethiopia as examples of the positive outcomes that can be achieved when governments collaborate across institutions and international borders.

She stressed that the true measure of success in anti-trafficking efforts should not be limited to the repatriation of victims but should extend to prevention, rehabilitation and sustainable reintegration.

According to her, without comprehensive rehabilitation and meaningful reintegration, many survivors remain vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and the risk of being trafficked again.

She advocated a survivor-centred and rights-based approach, noting that international best practices require repatriation to be safe, voluntary and dignified.

She added that rehabilitation should include access to physical and mental healthcare, psychosocial support, legal assistance, education and vocational training, while reintegration programmes should focus on creating sustainable livelihoods, facilitating family reunification where appropriate and promoting community acceptance.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said that effective rescue, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficking victims could only be achieved through robust collaboration among ECOWAS member states.

She called for closer partnerships involving West African governments, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), security agencies and civil society organisations.

According to her, efforts must shift beyond responding to trafficking cases to preventing them before they occur.

“We must stop them before they are trafficked. We must enforce the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol with effective border screening to detect trafficking.

“We must establish joint task forces involving Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. There should also be designated focal points in every country to facilitate early detection, reporting, early warning and rapid response,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa also called for sustained public sensitisation campaigns, expedited prosecution of traffickers and increased funding for agencies responsible for combating human trafficking.

Similarly, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Mrs Binta Bello, stressed that combating the increasingly sophisticated nature of human trafficking in Nigeria requires comprehensive, multi-layered interventions.

She recommended amendments to existing anti-trafficking legislation to address emerging trends and evolving criminal tactics.

Bello also advocated enhanced budgetary allocations to support repatriation, rehabilitation, reintegration and economic empowerment programmes for trafficking survivors.

She further urged the Federal Government to include NAPTIP among the beneficiaries of national security funds, arguing that human trafficking has evolved into a major national security threat.

Among her recommendations were the establishment of special intervention funds to finance repatriation, vocational training, education, entrepreneurship and livelihood programmes for rescued victims.

She also called for the strengthening of rehabilitation shelters and improved access to psychological, medical and legal services for survivors.

In addition, Bello advocated stronger bilateral and multilateral agreements between Nigeria and countries such as Mali, Niger Republic, Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire to facilitate the safe and dignified repatriation of victims.

She further recommended expanded grassroots awareness campaigns to educate vulnerable communities, enhanced intelligence sharing among security agencies, improved border surveillance, rigorous prosecution of traffickers and increased investment in skills acquisition, agricultural development and micro-grant programmes aimed at reducing the vulnerability of unemployed youths to deceptive recruitment by trafficking syndicates.

Also speaking, the Operations Consultant for the National Council of Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria (NACCRAN), Mr Adefioye Golagade, proposed additional measures to address trafficking involving Nigerian nationals in West Africa.

He said that findings from investigations conducted in Mali informed NACCRAN’s recommendation to regulate the activities of Nigerian sex workers in Mali and other West African countries in line with international laws, as part of efforts to improve monitoring and protect vulnerable persons.

Golagade also urged the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to direct Nigerian embassies across West Africa to formally introduce NACCRAN to relevant authorities in their host countries to facilitate collaboration in anti-trafficking initiatives.

He further recommended that the Federal Government issue official letters of authorisation to enable the organisation to participate in the rescue and repatriation of trafficked Nigerian victims.

According to him, there is also an urgent need for stronger coordination among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NAPTIP, security agencies and civil society organisations engaged in anti-trafficking efforts.

He equally called for the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive policy framework to protect Nigerian women and girls from trafficking and exploitation across West Africa.