The Network of Civil Society Organisations Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) has pledged to rebuild strained relationships with state commands of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to human trafficking.
Osita Osemene, NACTAL’s president, said his administration would prioritise improving relations between the agency’s state commands and the network’s chapters, warning that poor collaboration in some states had undermined collective efforts to combat trafficking.
Speaking at the 29th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking in Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, Osemene said addressing the divisions would be a key priority of his administration.
“I have seen that in some states the relationship between NAPTIP command and NACTAL are strained. We shall change this,” he said.
He also called for greater unity among civil society organisations (CSOs), urging NAPTIP’s Director-General to encourage organisations working with the agency to join NACTAL.
Osemene appealed to non-governmental organisations and other civil society groups to register with the network, arguing that a common platform would improve coordination and strengthen Nigeria’s reporting on human trafficking.
“We want to achieve a good coordination. A country with a good coordination will make a good report because we are going to be reporting as one,” he said.
He added that his administration would invest in building the capacity of NACTAL members to enhance their contributions to anti-trafficking initiatives and improve cooperation at state and federal levels.
Drawing on engagements with anti-trafficking organisations in Ghana, Mali, Senegal and other countries, Osemene said Nigeria had recorded progress in fostering collaboration between government institutions and civil society groups.
“We noticed that Nigeria is at the top,” he said, pledging to strengthen the network’s relationship with NAPTIP.
Also speaking at the forum, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Lami Adamu Bello, underscored the need for stronger partnerships, describing human trafficking as a persistent challenge that disproportionately affects women.
Bello expressed concern over the absence of NAPTIP commands in some states, specifically identifying Delta as a major trafficking route.
She disclosed that state anti-trafficking task forces had been established in 25 states, while 10 states were yet to set up theirs. She called for stronger cooperation among state governments and other partners to ensure coordinated responses to trafficking and emerging trends.
The NAPTIP chief expressed hope that the forum would provide an opportunity to review the country’s 2027 National Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the Tinubu administration remained committed to tackling human trafficking, noting that poverty and vulnerability created conditions that traffickers exploited.
He said government programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda were designed to reduce poverty, while judicial reforms and improved intelligence sharing would support efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
Fagbemi also called on state governments to take greater responsibility for funding anti-trafficking initiatives, arguing that the burden should not fall solely on the Federal Government, given that both victims and perpetrators came from the states.
He urged stakeholders to use the review of the 2027 National Action Plan to identify and address existing gaps, strengthen public awareness and improve prevention strategies.
Javier Leon, deputy team lead of FIAP, acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking but warned that no single institution could tackle the problem independently.
He said sustained progress would depend on cooperation, trust and a shared commitment among government agencies, civil society organisations and international partners.
Leon described the approaching end of the current National Action Plan as an opportunity to assess achievements, identify shortcomings and establish priorities for the next phase of the country’s anti-trafficking response.
He said the effectiveness of anti-trafficking interventions should not be measured solely by the number of meetings held or officers trained, but also by the lives protected, victims supported and people prevented from becoming victims of trafficking.
Other organisations and international partners at the forum reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking, stressing the importance of stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society groups and development partners.
They included the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Swiss Embassy, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Union (EU), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other stakeholders.
