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Vol.8, Issue 4; July - August 2023; 

ISSN: 2837-2964 

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6 | A c a d e m i c  J o u r n a l  o f  S c i e n c e ,  E n g i n e e r i n g  a n d  T e c h n o l o g y  

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NIGERIA'S STRUGGLE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING: A BATTLE 

FOR NATIONAL DIGNITY 
 

Amina Ezeife 

Department of History and International Studies, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State  

NIGERIA  

  

ABSTRACT: This study examines the historical context and implications of the British colonial 

administration's efforts to suppress the trans-Atlantic slave trade in what later became Nigeria. The suppression 

of this inhumane trade began with the British military expedition on Lagos territory in 1861, leading to the 

declaration of the area as a British Crown colony. The first Ordinance specifically prohibiting slave dealing 

and internal slave trafficking within the Crown colony of Lagos was enacted in 1874. However, it wasn't until 

August 31, 1916, that a decisive decree was passed, liberating every slave in the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. 

This decree also unequivocally forbade any recognition of the status of slavery by British or Native courts in 

these regions. The British colonial administration's anti-slavery laws not only marked the end of slavery as a 

social institution in Nigeria but also heralded a new era of revolutionary ideals, emphasizing liberty, freedom, 

and equality among the Nigerian population under British colonial rule. 

 

Keywords: British colonial administration, trans-Atlantic slave trade, Nigeria, anti-slavery laws, social 

institution, liberty, freedom, equality.  

 

 

INTRODUCTION  

The suppression of trans-Atlantic slave trade in what later became Nigeria began with the British military 

expedition on Lagos territory and the subsequent declaration of the area British Crown colony in 1861. 

However, it was not until 1874 that the first Ordinance was enacted prohibiting slave dealing and internal 

traffic in slaves within the Crown colony of Lagos (Lugard, 1919). On August 31, 1916 the British colonial 

administration prohibited slavery in Southern Provinces by the enactment of a decree to that effect. By this 

decree “every slave in the Southern Provinces was liberated”. It followed that “no court, British or  

Native, may in any way whatever recognize the status of slavery in the Southern Provinces of  

Nigeria” (Lugard, 1919). The British colonial administration’s anti-slavery laws marked the end of slavery as 

a social institution in Nigeria. They also ushered in a modern era of revolutionary ideas of liberty, freedom 

and equality among Nigerian people under the British colonial state.  

By 1960, when Nigeria secured her independence from Britain, slavery as a social institution or socio-cultural 

practice had virtually ceased to exist. Indeed, it became illegal and vexatious even to raise the issue in reference 

to an individual or group. In 1980s, however, when Nigeria’s economy witnessed serious decline as a result 

of oil glut, the country began to experience mass poverty manifested by increasing unemployment, soaring 

prices of essential goods and low wages. Consequently, there was widespread misery and frustration among 

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|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

the populace especially the large number of unemployed youths who began to believe that their prospect of 

economic survival lay outside the shores of the country. This encouraged many youths to begin to emigrate 

from Nigeria in large number and, in most cases, to Europe, Asia and America.  

The mass exodus of youths from Nigeria and, indeed, other Sub-Saharan African and Asian countries to the 

economically advanced nations of Europe and America encouraged the emergence of syndicates who devised 

methods for enticing would-be trafficked persons. In the case of Nigeria specifically, the syndicates developed 

very strong and dependable network for effective organization, recruitment and movement of would-be 

trafficked persons from their local communities to North Africa across the perilous Sahara Desert. Most 

Nigerian victims of human trafficking pass through Niger, Mali, Tunisia, Morocco or Libya en route to Europe 

(Ojugbana, 2015:28).   

By 1990s the large number of emigrants (victims of human trafficking from Nigeria and other African 

countries and Asia) roaming the streets of some European countries were considerable. Nigeria was listed 

among the African countries with the highest number of women trafficked to Europe for commercial sex 

business.  According to Otti (2011:16), about 50,000 Nigerian women were trafficked to Europe every year 

for prostitution. He stated that trafficking of women and children across local boarders in Africa has been on 

increase despite counter-measures by government agencies and anti-trafficking organizations.   

As many of the trafficked persons were without valid traveling documents, they became source of great 

concern and embarrassment to their respective countries. Many of them were said to have constituted social 

nuisance in their host countries, for example, the young prostitutes openly soliciting for male clients in the 

streets of Italy and Amsterdam (Njoku, 2005). The situation created a new global problem involving the 

trafficking in human persons across national borders for sexual exploitation and other oppressive and 

dehumanizing purposes. The phenomenon was described as a form of “modern-day slavery”.  

The meaning of Human Trafficking  

In 1999 the United Nations General Assembly defined human trafficking as  

The illicit and clandestine movement of persons across national, international borders, largely from 

developing countries in transition with the end goal of forcing women, children into sexually or economically 

oppressive and exploitative situations for the profit of recruiters, traffickers, crime syndicates as well as all 

other illegal activities related to trafficking such as forced domestic labour (cited in Adoba, 2004).  

Also Oloko cited in Okpalakunne (2006) described human trafficking as  

the recruitment, transportation, transfer labour receipt of a person through deception, force, coercion to a 

strange place within or across borders for the purpose of retraining such a person in a situation of 

enslavement, servitude or debt bondage (cited in Okpalakunne, 2006).  

Thus, human trafficking involves carrying human beings particularly women, children and other able-bodied 

youths from one place to another, at times across national and international borders by the traffickers for the 

purpose of subjecting the trafficked persons to prostitution, drug peddling or child labour. Some youths were 

also lured into various crimes such as armed robbery, fraud and membership of violent gangs etc. as they 

found themselves in foreign countries.  

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Human trafficking in Nigeria  

Although human trafficking has become a global problem, nevertheless, African countries (including Nigeria) 

serve as major sources of trafficked persons. According to the report which the United Nations Children 

Emergency Fund (UNICEF) presented to the Conference of African Ministers in Benin Republic in 2004, 

human trafficking is prominent in 53 African countries. The report revealed that 89 percent of the 53 nations 

involved had been trafficking human beings to and from neighbouring countries, but an appreciable volume 

of the traffic flows to Europe (see Akaigwe, 2004; Njoku, 2005). The African children were said to be “the 

biggest victims of the complex phenomenon, and are twice as likely to be trafficked as women”. Some are 

engaged as child soldiers in war-torn African countries, while many others work as domestic servants, farm 

labourers or sold into prostitution. Awake (June 22, 2002) observed that most ‘modern-day slaves’ are often 

women and children. The paper noted that they toil against their will either as child labourers or even 

prostitutes. For instance, the report on child labour released in 2008 showed that an estimated 284,000 child 

labourers existed in West Africa and many of them worked in coca farms “on slave labour wages or for nothing 

in order to put chocolate into the mouths of consumers” (The Punch, February 20, 2008).  

In Nigeria specifically, human trafficking involving women and children has been going on in several 

locations and communities. The report on Trafficking in Persons, 2004 cited in Maduagwu (2004) described 

Nigeria as a source, transit and destination country for trafficked women and children. The report noted that 

Nigerians were trafficked to Europe, the Middle East and other countries for purpose of forced labour, 

domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. It also described Nigeria as a destination country for Togolese, 

Beninese, Ghanaian and Cameroonian children trafficked for forced labour (See Maduagwu, 2004).  A recent 

report on human trafficking and migration to Europe shows that in 2014, 170, 100 arrived Italy by sea, 

compared to 141, 484 migrants that were ferried through the Mediterranean Sea from Libya in 2013. 

According to the report, the migrants had come from Syria (42, 323), Eritrea (34, 329), Mali (9,908) Nigeria 

(9,000), Gambia (8, 691), Somalia (5, 756) and some other nations (4,095). Among the migrants, 64, 625 were 

said to have applied for asylum (Ojugbana, 2015:29).  In the case of Nigeria, most of the migrants were victims 

of human trafficking hoodwinked by syndicates as a result of their desperation to travel to Europe or Asia for 

a better life.     

Thus, human trafficking is a complex phenomenon of which many people are involved at both family and 

community levels, as well as at the border or international transactions. The Guardian Opinion (June 29, 2004) 

observed that Nigeria is a well-known player in human trafficking. According to the paper, the country serves 

as” a base camp and transit channel for traffickers and their human commodity”. The paper also noted that 

inside the country and at border areas some locations are known to be target spots for operations.  

In a similar view, Oloko cited in Okpalakunne (2006) explained that child trafficking consists of both national 

and trans-national recruitment and movement of children for the purpose of providing cheap, manipulatable 

and exploitable labour for domestic and agricultural work, commercial sex work or prostitution, begging, 

unregulated industrial work and street trading.  

The South-east and South-south geo-political zones of Nigeria are noted for active involvement in human 

trafficking. For instance, several thousands of children are known to have been trafficked from Igbo land, 

Akwa Ibom and Cross River states to Lagos, Benin Republic, Togo and Gabon for the purpose of engaging 

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|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

them in child labour, which is akin to child slavery. The high rate of child trafficking became a major source 

of concern to the  

Akwa, Ibom State government that it banned “all forms of trafficking in children from the state to other parts 

of the country to serve as house-helps or cheap labour of any form” in 2004. The government also threatened 

to “deal drastically with parents who persist and promote trafficking in children” (See Solomon, 2004).  

The Western part of the country is also involved in child trafficking for the purpose of using them as cheap 

labour for domestic work, agricultural production, including cocoa and rubber farms. Nwakamma (2004) 

reported that Asewele, a community in Ondo State is a spot for child slavery. He stated that both males and 

females were sold at a price of about N25, 000.00 each across the border and there were always prospective 

buyers. He also noted that despite the efforts being made by the police and immigration officers, Nigerian 

borders are still vulnerable as far as child trafficking is concerned.  

In Benin city, capital of Edo State, there were syndicates who specialized in recruiting and sponsoring young 

ladies to Europe especially Italy, Amsterdam and Belgium for prostitution. Taire (2004) observed that it was 

since 2000 that the issue of Nigerian women in general, and ladies from Benin city and its environs in 

particular going to Europe to work as commercial sex workers had become a real cause for concern. Similarly, 

THIS DAY (May 3, 2004) in a story culled from Economist stated that people-trafficking in Benin-city was an 

organized and lucrative trade. The paper observed that it was riot possible to know how many ladies were 

shipped out each year, but that “every one in Benin-city knows who has gone”. The paper noted that the girls 

were recruited by local sponsors “who pay up-front for transport, and the girls therefore start out with 

thousands of dollars in debt”  

By 2004, it was estimated that no fewer than 100,000 young Nigerian women had been sold into sex slavery 

as prostitutes, servicing ‘top guns’ and ‘big boys’ in Europe’s flourishing underground sex industry. 

According to an official of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Alhaji 

Mohammed Babandede out of about 90,000 sex workers of Nigerian origin in Italy 50,000 of them were from 

Edo State. This, according to Aihaji Babandede, represented 60 percent of prostitutes in that country (See 

Njoku, 2005). Sequel to this, the United States of America placed Nigeria on her Tier 2-Watch list of countries 

involved in trafficking in persons. According to Joann Schneider, Deputy Director of the Office to Combat 

and Monitor Trafficking in Persons, Washington, Nigeria did not comply with the minimum standards for the 

elimination of trafficking though United States recognized that Nigeria was “making significant efforts to do 

so” (See Emeozor, 2004).  

It was as a result of the menace of human trafficking in Nigeria and its increasing damage to the nation’s 

image abroad that some anti-human trafficking organizations were formed by some patriotic individuals to 

stem the ugly tide. Among these organizations the most influential, powerful and well focused was the Women 

Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) founded by Mrs. Amina Titi Abubakar, 

wife of former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. WOTCLEF initiated and sponsored the 

Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour bill which was passed by the National Assembly and subsequently 

signed into law by the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on July 14, 2003 (Njoku, 2005). The 

legislation (Act) provided for the establishment of the National Enforcement and Administration to be known 

as National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP). It gave 

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|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

the agency sweeping powers to initiate prosecution of barons or syndicates of the illicit trade. The NAPTIP 

mission statement is the full commitment to the prevention of all forms of human degradation and exploitation. 

Through the coordinated use of nation crime prevention and law enforcement resources, we are determined 

to stamp out human trafficking and to liberate and uplift the vulnerable especially women and children, from 

dehumanizing exploitative usage, as well as to ensure their rehabilitation and effective reintegration into the 

society (cited in Adoba, 2004).  

In 2005 the NAPTIP Act was amended which criminalized the keeping of brothels and the use of children as 

domestic house helps. The properties of the offenders of this amended act have become targets for seizure by 

government (Olayinka, 2011).  

Moreover, the Federal Government has encouraged NAPTIP to establish a National Investigation Task Force 

(NITF). The NITF has been upgraded to effective coordinating offices in many states of the federation 

particularly in states with worst human trafficking problems. NAPTIP has also established shelters where 

victims of human trafficking are taken care of during rescue and rehabilitation period. Those shelters exist in 

zonal offices located in Lagos, Kano, Benin, Enugu, Uyo, Sokoto and Maiduguri (Olayinka, 2011). Besides, 

NAPTIP was said to be increasingly making use of the Police, Immigration Service and traditional rulers in 

its fight against human trafficking in Nigeria. It was also said to have successfully investigated many cases 

and had also succeeded in securing the convictions of many syndicates involved in human trafficking in the 

country.  

The NAPTIP was also said to be increasingly collaborating with some national and international agencies in 

its fight against human trafficking. For instance, the NAPTIP was said to be collaborating with International 

Organization for Migration (IOM), Spanish Police, the Italian Anti-Mafia Bureau and Benin Republic Police 

etc. The collaboration with these agencies was said to have resulted in the arrests and trial of some syndicates 

involved in human trafficking and the formal repatriation of some victims of the illicit trade, Okumephana 

(2004) stated that the collaboration between NAPTIP and other agencies had resulted in the arrests of 

syndicates involved in 13 different cases of which four had been charged to court by December, 2004. 

However, the Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mr. Simon Chudi Egede has revealed that his agency has 

secured more than 100 convictions with many of them serving various jail terms ranging from two to 24 years 

in prison (See Olayinka, 2011).  

Above all, NAPTIP was said to have been committed towards the rehabilitation of victims of human 

trafficking. According to the Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mr. Simon Chuzi Egede between 2009 and 

2010 the agency spent about N50 million on over 100 victims empowering them with trade equipment and 

seed money to enable them start their own businesses. He stated that so far about 4,934 victims had passed 

through the agency with 1,884 recorded between 2009 and 2010. Mr. Egede further stated that out of this 

figure 526 victims had been rehabilitated either by returning to school or assisted to acquire vocational skills 

(See Olayinka, 2011).  

It should be noted that the NAPTIP’s figure on victims of human trafficking rescued between 2009 and 2010 

shows that the ‘modern-day slavery’ has not in any way abated. This is particularly when considered in the 

light of the number of victims rescued by the agency which might probably have been a small percentage of 

the entire persons trafficked within the period. For instance, Daily Independent Editorial (February 25, 2011) 

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painted a grimmer picture of how “thousands of mostly unskilled Nigerian youths battle their way through the 

harsh, cold weather of the Sahara desert to Southern Europe” The paper noted that for many of these youths 

“it was the Devil’s alternative choice”. That is, according to the paper, either “to remain un-catered for by the 

emergent avaricious political class that has continued to channel state resources for personal aggrandizement 

or to risk their lives outside Nigeria as factory hands, doing menial jobs or plain prostitution”. The paper noted 

that many Nigerian youths “took the plunge and died in the process”, while “some of those who survived and 

succeeded in their chosen careers are now smiling to the bank and even sending valuable money home” (Daily 

Independent Editorial, February 25, 2011).  

Similarly, the National Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign report released by its National Co-ordiantor, 

Richard Ossai shows that human trafficking between Nigeria and the world “is taking a worse dimension”. 

Ossai in his report stated that “besides slave work abuse, the victims are losing their vital parts for a paltry 

$150 in return for the permanent damage done to them”. He, however, acknowledged that the federal 

government in collaboration with various organizations has done more than any other African country in the 

fight against human trafficking, a feat he noted has resulted in Nigeria moving out of the status of countries 

with worst cases of trafficking. But the scourge of human trafficking still persists in the country which he 

(Ossai) described as “a dehumanizing act” (See Nigerian Pilot, January 20, 2011).  

The major reasons for the persistence of the ugly phenomenon of human trafficking in Nigeria include 

pervasive poverty in the society especially at the family level; the frightening problem of unemployment 

among the populace particularly the youths, and ignorance of the prospective victims of human trafficking 

about their fate in foreign countries. Some other reasons include bad leadership that has failed to improve the 

welfare of the citizens thereby resulting in mass disillusionment and the urge by many citizens to leave the 

country in search for better living conditions in other countries; the abuse of traditional method of fostering 

children and get-rich-quick syndrome in contemporary Nigerian society. There is also the pressures of urban 

migration which have stretched the demands for house helps and, in turn, induced the internal trafficking of 

young boys and girls conscripted sometimes into near slave labour (The Guardian Editorial, June 29, 2004).  

Moreover, there is the problem of the existence of powerful and influential syndicates within and outside 

Nigeria that coordinate and finance the despicable business, and the lure of huge profit that accrue to them 

annually from it. For instance, it was revealed by Mrs. G.B. Idiodi, the Executive Director of Light Bearers 

Organization (LBO) that “the perpetrators of human trafficking are believed to be raking in between $7 billion 

to $10 billion dollars annually” (See Nzama, 2004). Besides, there is the alleged complicity of some security 

personnel in trafficking of persons especially within the borders (See Emeozor, 2004). Thus, although some 

officials of NAPTIP claim that Nigeria is winning the war against human trafficking, nevertheless, the sordid 

business still persists (See Godwin, 2014:15). For instance, Ojugbana (2015:29) reported that between 

January, and March 3, 2015, 463 Nigerians were among 7,882 migrants that arrived Italy by sea from Libya.  

Effects of human trafficking on Nigeria’s image  

The concept of national image subsumes a mental picture in which a nation-state portrays or projects about 

herself in her relations with other nation-states in international system. It is a significant factor or an essential 

element for the perception and assessment of national character. Morgenthau (1949) described national 

character as those “fundamental intellectual and moral traits which reveal themselves on all levels of thought 

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12 | A c a d e m i c  J o u r n a l  o f  S c i e n c e ,  E n g i n e e r i n g  a n d  T e c h n o l o g y  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

and action and which give each nation its unmistakable distinctiveness”. It is in recognition of the need to 

portray good national image among comity of nations that Nigeria established NAPTIP and as well 

collaborates with various organizations in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking. Despite these 

efforts, however, the incidence of human trafficking persists and has continued to create negative effects on 

the country’s image in the following ways:  

1. Human trafficking portrays Nigeria in a bad light. It creates erroneous impression that the country is 

incapable of providing for her citizens especially in terms of employment and social welfare, hence the exodus 

of her able-bodied youths to foreign countries.  

2. It dents the image of the country as many young prostitutes of Nigerian origin are allegedly often 

spotted in sex parlours and streets of some European countries (Italy, Holland and Belgium etc) soliciting for 

male clients. An official of the NAPTIP, Alhaji Mohammed Babandede revealed in 2004 that there were no 

fewer than 100,000 Nigerian women sold into sex slavery as prostitutes in Europe (See Njoku, 2005).  

3. Human trafficking involving Nigerian ladies gives the ugly impression that Nigerian citizens help to 

sustain the underground sex industry in Europe involving young teenagers.  

4. The human trafficking conundrum erroneously portrays Nigeria as a country in throes of political and 

economic crises. This is despite the fact that the country conducted free, fair, credible and peaceful general 

elections recently, and is making efforts to improve socioeconomic conditions of its citizens. Human 

trafficking, therefore, creates wrong impression of the image of the country.  

5. It frustrates the efforts of the government towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 

(MDGs) particularly Education for All. Many of the victims of child trafficking are deprived of the opportunity 

to acquire formal education. Besides, Ezinma (2010) reported that over 12 million Nigerian children are in the 

bondage of child labour and more are at risk of joining the child labour condition. He stated in his report that 

it is quite sad that many years after the goal of International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour 

work (IPEC) was launched, the prevention and elimination of worst form of child labour (WFCL) is still a 

mirage in Nigeria. This casts doubts on the commitment of the country towards eliminating child labour which 

is akin to child slavery.  

6. Brain drain which is another dimension of ‘human trafficking’ deprives the country highskilled 

manpower needed for rapid national development. Ibekwe (2010) summarized the negative effects of brain 

drain on developing countries, including Nigeria as follows:  

Brain drain in developing countries has financial, institutional and social costs: little return from their 

investments in higher education; increasing dependency on foreign expertise due to dwindling professional 

sector; diminishing ability of several developing countries to offer basic health care services to their subjects; 

widening gap in science and technology between the richer and poor countries; crumbling middle class 

population; failing tax system and disappearance of jobs and society (Ibekwe, 2010).  

With particular reference to Nigeria, Professors Wilma Meus and David Sanders, both of the University of the 

Western Cape’s School of Public Health, South Africa stated in their research report that Nigeria has incurred 

loss of $420 million (N53.34 billion) through the loss of 21,000 doctors to the United States of America. Meus 

and Sanders stated that conservative estimates showed that the United States has saved at least $3.86 million 

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|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

(N490.2 million) in training fees by employing doctors from Nigeria (See Bagshaw, 2003). Similarly, 

thousands of medical experts of Nigerian origin reside and work in United Kingdom.  

On the other hand, Nigeria’s health care and education sectors have “been in deplorable state partly due to 

inadequate number of experts as a result of the effect of brain drain.” In the case of health sector, for instance, 

the report on the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as documented by Anuforo (2010) 

shows that  

 Nigeria really still does not have the kind of public health system that the country…. needs. The life 

expectancy in Nigeria is about 55 years, while in other middle income countries it is about 70, and higher 

income countries about 80 plus. Nigeria is just not achieving the health and maternal survival of the child 

befitting a country of its stature (Anuforo, 2010).  

It should be noted that Nigerians in Diaspora were said to be over 20 million contributing greatly to the 

development of their various countries of residence (Nwanunobi, 2006).  

7. Human trafficking exposes some Nigerian citizens to all forms of inhuman treatment in foreign 

countries. These include physical assault, rape, detention and in some extreme cases execution. Many 

Nigerians are also known to be languishing in prisons in some countries of the world due to the misadventure 

associated with human trafficking.  

8. It gives rise to frequent deportation of Nigerian citizens from foreign countries with its attendant 

diplomatic implications. The former Head of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Trafficking Unit, Miss 

Nnenna Mbagwu revealed that a total of 2,562 Nigerian girls were deported from Europe in 2002. She also 

stated that 189 minors who were being ‘towed out’ of the country ostensibly for child slavery were intercepted 

in the same year. (Daily Champion, January 30, 2003).  

9. Human trafficking exposes Nigerian youths to the danger of being used as ‘guinea pigs’ for scientific 

and medical researches in foreign countries. The National Coordinator of the National Anti-Human 

Trafficking Campaign (NAHTC), Mr. Richard Osai lamented that human trafficking between Nigeria and the 

world “is taking worse dimension”. He stated that “besides slave work abuse, the victims are losing their vital 

parts for a paltry $150 in return for the permanent damage done to them” (See Nigerian Pilot, January 20, 

2011). This is not only an act of indignity against such victims, but also portrays them as subhumans without 

protective rights.  

10. It impugns on Nigeria’s national character. It was partly as a result of the bad image which human 

trafficking paints about the country that the Federal Government resolved to embark on re-branding Nigeria 

project.  

CONCLUSION  

Human trafficking is a form of ‘modern-day slavery’ which involves the movement of thousands of Nigerian 

women and children mainly through land routes to some North and West African countries with the ultimate 

aim of taking them to Europe for slave labour and prostitution. The escalation of the incidence of human 

trafficking in Nigeria began in 1980s as a result of decline in Nigeria’s economy which gave rise to pervasive 

poverty at family level; frightening unemployment; deterioration of social infrastructure; low wages, soaring 

prices of goods and consequent social misery among the populace. This situation provoked the urge to 

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Impact Factor: 6.67 

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14 | A c a d e m i c  J o u r n a l  o f  S c i e n c e ,  E n g i n e e r i n g  a n d  T e c h n o l o g y  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

immigrate to foreign countries by many Nigerians to seek for better life and favourable economic 

opportunities.  

Some Nigerian citizens who embarked on the desperate journey did not reach their destinations due to 

associated hazards, while many of those who got to their destinations found themselves engaging in precarious 

jobs akin to slave labour, prostitution or crime. This created bad image for the country and necessitated the 

establishment of NAPTIP, and collaboration with some international organizations to stem the tide. The 

scourge of human trafficking still persists in the country despite federal government’s concerted actions. 

Indeed, it has become part of the global problem of illegal migration involving hundreds of thousands of 

people mainly from Africa and Middle East, which presently threaten the social stability of Europe.  

REFERENCES  

Adoba, I. (2004) “A close look into Nigeria’s illegal export”, THIS DAY, Wednesday, June   16, pp 38 41.  

Akaigwe, M. (2004) “UNICEF raises fresh alarm over child Trafficking,” Saturday   Champion, May 8, p35.  

Anuforo, E. (2010) “MDGs: Nigeria struts, frets on the road to 2015”,  The Guardian,   Friday, August 6, pp 

12-13.  

Awake (2002) “Slavery: the Plague Persists”, Awake, June 22, p3.  

Bagshaw, N. (2003) “Emigrant doctors: Nigeria loses N53.34 billion to US”, Daily   Independent, Tuesday, 

September 16, pB8.  

Daily Independent Editorial, (2011) “Maximizing remittances from the Diaspora”, Daily   Independent, 

Friday, February 25, p31.  

“Efforts too small to curb child labour on cocoa farms” The Punch, Wednesday, February   20, 2008, p39.  

Emeozor, E. (2004) “Trafficking in Persons: Nigeria remains in US Tier 2- Watch list”,    Daily Sun, Monday, 

July 26, p11.  

Ezinma, B. (2010) “Child Labour: Dilemma of Nigerian government” , Saturday In   dependent, September 

11, p11.  

Global Human Trafficking Assumes a Worst Dimension -NAHTC” Nigerian Pilot, Thursday,   January 20, 

2011, p7.  

Godwin, I. (2014), “Nigeria winning war against human trafficking- NAPTIP”, Daily Sun,   Friday September 

12, p19.  

Ibekwe, M. (2010), “Can brain drain benefit everyone?”  The Punch, October 26, p12.  

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 Academic Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology 

Vol.8, Issue 4; July - August 2023; 

ISSN: 2837-2964 

Impact Factor: 6.67 

1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States 

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15 | A c a d e m i c  J o u r n a l  o f  S c i e n c e ,  E n g i n e e r i n g  a n d  T e c h n o l o g y  

|  https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJSET 

Lugard, F.D. (1919) “Political Memoranda”, London: Waterlow and  Sons Ltd, pp 217-220.  

Maduagwu, C. (2004) “Human Trafficking: Nigeria’s efforts, not good enough”,  Daily   Champion, Thursday, 

July 29, p34.  

Makinde, F. (2004) “Human trafficking: Pathetic Story of Sylva,” The Punch, Friday,   September 24, p14.  

Morgenthau, H.J. (1949) “Politics Among Nations”,  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, mc, p96. Njoku A. 0. (2005) 

Contemporary Public Issues in Social Studies Education in Nigeria,   Enugu: Redeemed Printing and 

Publishing Co, pp 185 — 208.  

Nwanunobi, T. (2006) “Nigeria marks first Diaspora Day”, Leadership, July 27, p8.  

Nzama, B. (2004) “Child traffickers earn $10 billion annually-NGO,” Daily Sun,   Wednesday, December 8, 

p7.  

Ojugbana, V. (2015) “Between allure of better life and death at Mediterranean sea”, The   Guardian, Friday, 

may 22, pp 28- 29.  

Okpalakunne, N. (2006) “The evils of human trafficking, child labour”,  Daily Champion,   Thursday, April. 

6, p15.  

Okumephana, C. (2005) “U.S. lauds Nigeria’s fight against human trafficking” , The   Guardian, Friday, 

January 28, p7.  

Olayinka, C. (2011), “Victims of human trafficking get N50 million employment fund” , The   Guardian, 

Tuesday, February 1, p43.  

Otti, S. (2011) “How Nigerian girls are forced into prostitution in Mali”, Daily Sun,   Tuesday, November 

29, p16.  

Solomon, T. (2004) “Akwa Ibom bans child trafficking”, Vanguard, June 1, p7.  

The Guardian Editorial, (2004) “The scandal of child trafficking”, The Guardian, Tuesday,   June 29, p22.  

THIS DAY (2004) “People trafficking: Nigeria’s other export”, THISDAY, Monday, May 3,   bp. “2,562 

Nigerian girls deported from Europe”, Daily Champion, Thursday, January 30, 2003,   p9.                

  

  

  

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