With over 1.3 million people currently affected by human trafficking in Nigeria, Joseph Osuigwe, Executive Director of Devatop Centre for Africa Development, has predicted that not less than six million of Nigerians would be directly affected by trafficking in 2023.
Speaking in commemoration of the 2018 World Day Against Trafficking In Persons, Osuigwe labelled human trafficking as a great threat to our economic development, advancement, and human capital.
She also lamented the lack of political will to curb trafficking of persons in the country.
“Trafficking flourishes in Nigeria, and globally, aided by many factors, among which is lack of political will by our leaders to combat human trafficking and neglect by states.
“It is obvious that political leaders are not much interested in combating human trafficking in Nigeria, and this is an impediment to the work civil society organization and National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is doing to tackle this problem,” she stated.
Osuigwe, speaking on why trafficking has continued to thrive in the country, highlighted lack of social protection for the poor while the rich enjoy social protection and security.
While maintaining that human trafficking is not only movement of people out of Nigeria but also different forms of exploitation that happens within the rural and urban communities, the Executive Director of Devatop Centre for Africa Development called for a united fight to end human trafficking in the country.
She, nevertheless, demanded that political leaders join the war against human trafficking in the country. She also charged citizens and youths to hold their local and state political leaders accountable to human trafficking incidences and not vote for any aspirant that doesn’t have plans and approach to tackle human trafficking.
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