The Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) has presented a civil society review of Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking response, saying the contributions of non-governmental organisations and development partners are not adequately captured in official reporting used for the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) assessment.
The review, compiled by NACTAL and presented on Wednesday to FIAP Deputy Team Lead Javier Francesco Leon in Keffi, Nasarawa State, during a three-day training for civil society organisations on monitoring, evaluation and reporting of human trafficking cases using nationally approved tools. The programme is supported under the Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria Project (Component III), funded by the European Union and implemented by FIAP.
NACTAL National Legal Adviser and Chairman of the Civil Society TIP Review Committee, Enwelum Ogechukwu, said the coalition undertook the review after identifying gaps in the reporting of anti-trafficking interventions across the country.
‘The major highlight is that civil society activities have been underreported. The efforts of development partners and their contributions to combating trafficking in persons in Nigeria are also highly underreported’, he said.
Ogechukwu said NACTAL, which comprises more than 300 civil society organisations across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, collated activities carried out by its members to present a broader picture of anti-trafficking efforts.
He said weak consultation between the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and civil society organisations may have contributed to the gaps.
‘We believe consultations are not strong enough. NACTAL is the coordinating coalition of civil society organisations working on trafficking issues in Nigeria, and there should be stronger engagement in the reporting process’, he said.
Ogechukwu said the underreporting was also evident in victim support services, noting that some shelters operated by civil society groups and used by trafficking survivors were not reflected in official figures.
‘Some of these shelters receive referrals from NAPTIP when its own facilities are overstretched, yet they are not adequately captured’, he said.
He added that improved documentation would provide a fuller picture of Nigeria’s response to human trafficking.
NACTAL National President Abdul Ganiyo Abubakar also raised concerns over inadequate documentation of trafficking cases and interventions, saying poor reporting makes it difficult to assess the true scale of the crime and measure progress.
‘Certainly, we are not where we want to be, but we are also not where we used to be. It is important that we report ongoing efforts while also acknowledging existing gaps and areas that require improvement’, he said.
Abubakar said the coalition had developed recommendations following its review and would share them with relevant stakeholders.
Also speaking, NACTAL South-East Coordinator, Dr Ijeoma Nnaji, said the document was designed to highlight civil society interventions that are often overlooked in official reporting systems.
She described it as an advocacy tool aimed at strengthening collaboration among stakeholders and improving recognition of civil society roles in prevention, victim support and case management.
Human trafficking remains a major form of organised crime globally, with Nigeria serving as a source, transit and destination country for victims, according to anti-trafficking organisations.
