UNODC renews commitment to fight human trafficking
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has pledged to deepen collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in tackling human trafficking in Nigeria.
Mr Cheikh Toure, UNODC Country Representative, made the pledge on Friday in Abuja during an engagement between NAPTIP and survivors of human trafficking.
It was organised as part of activities to mark the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Toure said UNODC would strengthen support in five priority areas, beginning with victim assistance through early identification, protection and referral services.
He said the agency would support frontline officials to recognise indicators of coercion and forced criminality, and ensure victims received access to safe accommodation, psychosocial care, legal assistance, documentation, safe return and sustainable reintegration services.
He added that UNODC would support the full operationalisation of state task forces against human trafficking and strengthen their security measures, noting that success should not only be measured by arrests but by victims protected and criminal networks disrupted.
Toure said the agency would also strengthen the capacity of national authorities to track digital recruiters, transporters, facilitators and other actors involved in trafficking networks.
He said UNODC would support intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and examination of the wider criminal ecosystem, including financial transactions linked to trafficking.
The UNODC representative said the agency would promote stronger cooperation among law enforcement and criminal justice institutions, technology platforms, financial institutions and other stakeholders through the use of electronic evidence.
He said UNODC would also support cross-border cooperation, including financial investigations, information exchange and mutual legal assistance mechanisms to improve trafficking investigations.
Toure said prevention remained critical, adding that UNODC would support initiatives that address deception before it leads to exploitation while promoting skills development, decent work and inclusive opportunities.
The Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Dimanche Sharon, said traffickers often sell hope rather than fear to lure victims.
She pledged IOM’s continued support to the Nigerian Government in addressing human trafficking.
Also, Isabelle Wolfgruber, Head of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Nigeria, said the organisation would support the implementation of the National Action Plan for Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons through the EU-funded FMM II project.
She said ICMPD would work with government partners to strengthen coordination of anti-trafficking responses.
Wolfgruber said through the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the organisation engages young people, teachers, parents and communities to prevent trafficking.
She added that through the Trafficking in Persons Victim Assistance Programme (TIPVAP), also funded by the Netherlands and implemented with NAPTIP, ICMPD supports institutions responsible for investigation, prosecution and victim protection.
She stressed that no single institution could tackle trafficking alone, noting that criminal networks operate across borders and increasingly exploit digital tools.
“Regional cooperation, real-time information sharing and shared prevention efforts are no longer additions to the response, they are the response,” she said.
Wolfgruber reaffirmed ICMPD’s commitment to working with the Nigerian Government, NAPTIP, ECOWAS and other partners to strengthen institutions, promote safe migration and support people-centred migration policies.