NACTAL Presents Civil Society TIP Review, Faults NAPTIP Reporting On Anti-Trafficking Efforts

PROSPER OKOYE 

The Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, NACTAL, has presented a civil society review of Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking response, saying contributions of non-governmental organisations are not adequately captured in official reporting.

The review was 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 and reporting of human trafficking cases.

The programme is supported under the Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria Project, Component III, funded by the European Union and implemented by FIAP, according to organisers.

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 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,” Ogechukwu 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.

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 in official documentation.

“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,” he said.

Ogechukwu said underreporting was also evident in victim support services, noting that some shelters operated by civil society groups 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 added.

NACTAL National President, Abdul Ganiyo Abubakar, said inadequate documentation makes it difficult to assess the true scale of trafficking and measure progress in the fight against the crime.

“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 acknowledging existing gaps,” Abubakar said.

He said the coalition had developed recommendations following its review and would share them with relevant stakeholders to improve data collection and reporting.

NACTAL South-East Coordinator, Dr Ijeoma Nnaji, described the document as an advocacy tool aimed at strengthening collaboration and improving recognition of civil society roles in prevention and victim support.

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.