ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has issued a distressing report revealing that 1.6 million Nigerians are living in conditions of modern slavery.
As part of a global report indicating that 50 million people worldwide are entrapped in similar circumstances, NAPTIP’s revelation underscores the critical necessity of increased efforts to combat this persisting societal evil.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Prof. Fatima Wazir-Azi, unveiled these alarming numbers on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at a press conference in Abuja, marking the 20th anniversary of the agency. Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, she called for immediate, strategic global responses.
“The 2023 Global Slavery Index opines that globally, it is estimated that 50 million people are living in modern slavery on any day in 2021, an increase of 10 million people since 2016,” said Wazir-Azi. “What this narrative indicates is the urgent need for a more strategic and deliberate global response to these problems.”
She added that the statistics came from a report compiled periodically by the ‘Work for Free’ organization in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, IOM, and International Labour Organization, ILO.
Acknowledging the troubling trend of increased human trafficking, Wazir-Azi explained the challenges in tracking the exact number of Nigerians leaving the country due to over 1000 illegal land borders.
Wazir-Azi also highlighted the widespread issue of child labor, stating, “Child labor is widespread across the country and our Acts criminalize the use of children for any form of labor that is hazardous to their wellbeing.”
Drawing attention to the horrifying instances of child exploitation, she mentioned, “Just recently, we dismantled a ring around the Nyanya Axis of the FCT where women rent out their 7 to 8 months old babies every day for N3000 to other people to use them for arms begging.”
The NAPTIP head further stressed that human trafficking was not solely a NAPTIP or Nigerian issue but a societal problem that required collective efforts at all levels.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, highlighted the agency’s efforts to combat this issue, citing, “14,813 cases reported, 10,005 suspected traffickers arrested, 623 convictions… we also have 260 ongoing cases in various courts across the country, and we have rescued close to 22,000 victims of human trafficking.”
As NAPTIP rings in its 20th anniversary, the revelations present a stark reminder of the significant battles the agency still has to wage.
The mission now is clear: to build a safer, more inclusive society and to protect the rights of victims ensnared in the clutches of modern slavery.
