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Trafficking
Government has taken some steps to address the issue of human trafficking by passing the law to prohibit human trafficking known as Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003 as amended in 2005.
The Government has also set up a National Agency for the prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters (hereinafter referred to as NAPTIP) to be responsible for all human trafficking and other related issues. However the capacity and resources of NAPTIP are not sufficient to provide nor the quantity or quality of services needed. According to the NAPTIP annual report of 2007 for the Lagos zonal office the number of people that have passed through their system from 2004 to 2007 is 676.
This should be put into the perspective of the previously mentioned estimates made by NAPTIP zonal head Mr. Morka on the number of trafficked persons in Nigeria; about 8 million.
Though the figures are just for Lagos zonal office and the estimates are made for Nigeria as a whole, it still indicates that the problem is not being adequately addressed. There is consequently a large gap between the need for preventative work and the work actually being done, which in part is being filled by non-state actors.
However as a result of pervading ignorance and poverty the incidents of trafficking continues to escalate unabated which has created the need for all and sundry to join hands with the Government to create more awareness and address the issue towards curbing the trend.
Information from UNESCO:
Poverty is the most visible cause of vulnerability to trafficking for women and children.
ILO/IPEC found that 40% of Nigerian street children and hawkers are trafficked
Main destinations are Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea Island, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Mali, Benin, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, UK and Saudi Arabia.
1.800.000 AIDS orphans in Nigeria, particularly vulnerable
Nigeria ratified the UN Convention Against Trans-national Organized Crime and the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (the Palermo Protocol in 2001)
There is domestic anti-trafficking legislation in Nigeria: the “Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act” of 2003
WOCON first began working on the trafficking of women and children in
1997 when it launched the first campaign against trafficking of women and
children on 8th March 1997. The launching of the campaign was sequel to the
research conducted by the executive director of WOCON Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi
and Grace Osakue of IRRAG as part of the research study commissioned by the
united nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women its effects and
consequences. WOCON views human trafficking as one of the practices which is
harmful and demeaning to women, and so hinder Nigeria’s emergence as a modern,
democratic state. WOCON organises workshops, provide vocational training for
young girls and lobby the government to change its legislation so as to offer
better protection to victims of trafficking. Our local public awareness
activities are particularly strong with the organization of various public
outreach events, television /radio programs, posters and information brochures