By Ngozi Nwankwo
Ahead of the 2025 World Day Against Human Trafficking, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP has outlined Nigeria’s activities to commemorate the event.
Briefing journalists on the 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Abuja, Thursday, the Director General, NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, said the event serves as a crucial platform to raise awareness about the global issue of human trafficking and to advocate for the protection and rights of victims.
The 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons’ theme”Human Trafficking is Organized Crime-End the Exploitation”
The NAPTIP boss disclosed that the theme is a call for a deeper understanding of the nexus between human trafficking and organized criminal networks; and the multifaceted, multi-sectoral approach to disrupt operations of the gangs across the world while ensuring a victim-centered approach.
Bello said the event highlights the urgent need to combat this crime, which involves the exploitation and abuse of individuals for profit, and emphasizes the importance of collective action to prevent trafficking and support survivors.
Outlining the activities to mark 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the NAPTIP boss said, “Sensitization Walk – Monday, 28th July 2025 – This peaceful walk involving all stakeholders and partners. It will take place in the FCT as well as all states where NAPTIP has its formations. The walk provides a platform to distribute IEC materials and engage communities on how to identify and report trafficking cases.
Special Hybrid 28th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum,NSCF, – Wednesday, 30th July 2025. This is a forum where the theme of the celebration will be analyzed by a panel of experts. This will be the flagship event of the celebration. It will have in attendance policy makers, Donor Agencies, international partners, law enforcement agencies, NGOs, private sector leaders, and survivors.”
She said the fight against human trafficking has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends daily.
The disturbing trends, according to DG, include: Fake Job Opportunities and Scholarships in some destination countries; Recruitment of Victims as Marketing Agents for some branded products with the intention to exploit them; Recruitment of unsuspecting youths for Online Scam (Yahoo-Yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana and some West African Countries; Online Trafficking/Sextortion, revenge porn,– Nigeria and Ghana.
Others include: Baby Factory; Organ Harvesting; Online Loan Scheme – This is a situation where the suspect uses social media handles to lure unsuspecting victims into accepting, but at the end of the day, compel them into prostitution in return for the loan – Nigeria, Ghana.
