The Federal Government has expressed renewed determination to intensify its efforts against human trafficking following the launch of the National Counter-Trafficking Dashboard by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, made this known at the Second Policy Level Meeting on Human Trafficking 2025, organised by NAPTIP, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister lamented Nigeria’s continued ranking among Tier 2 nations in the 2025 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which means Nigeria is not fully meeting the minimum standards for elimination but is making significant efforts.

He said, “A remarkable milestone recorded this year is the landmark launch of the NAPTIP, the first of its kind in Africa.

“This digital platform provides real-time data on anti-trafficking activities across Nigeria, enhancing coordination, transparency, and accountability.”

The Attorney General adds that “Despite our notable progress, it is deeply regrettable that Nigeria continues to be ranked among Tier 2 countries in the 2025 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

“Key areas of concern from the report were identified, including insufficient efforts at identifying and protecting victims, inadequate screening and protection mechanisms, and persistent corruption among law enforcement and judicial officers.”

In a call to action, Fagbemi said, “We must work assiduously to change this narrative in the next reporting cycle. Our collective actions must demonstrate measurable progress and tangible impact.”

He pointed out that human trafficking is a crime that strikes at the very fabric of humanity; therefore, “The Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, remains resolute in its commitment to the protection of human dignity and the total eradication of human trafficking in all its forms in Nigeria.”

Represented by the Director Research and Statistics of the ministry, Victoria Ojogbane, he noted that the meeting is the “highest policy forum for assessing the progress of our collective counter-trafficking efforts and the defining of strategic directions for the next year.”

“Statistics available to us reveal that countless individuals, men, women, and children, remain entrapped in modern-day slavery, exploited in forced labour, sexual servitude, and other degrading circumstances.

He said, “Millions of victims of this crime remind us that the fight against trafficking is far from over and the urgent need for a coordinated, multi-sectoral response.”

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the minister said available data puts the annual profit from human trafficking and related crimes at over $245 billion USD, with a significant portion derived from sexual exploitation.

Earlier, the Director General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Binta Bello, said that the agency has arrested 872 suspected human traffickers, received 802 cases and rescued and rehabilitated 1,839 victims of trafficking.

“From January to early November 2025, the Agency received 802 cases, rescued and rehabilitated 1,839 victims of trafficking, arrested 872 suspected traffickers, and secured 67 convictions involving 85 convicted persons,” she said.

She also noted that the number of convicted persons so far in 2025 has “broken the record of 82 convicted persons in 2022.”

Speaking on the effective implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking (2022–2026), the DG said the next phase the agency is looking forward to is the development of a new National Action Plan (2027–2031), even as it builds on the lessons of the current plan.

Among the immediate strategies outlined were the investigation and prosecution of all credible allegations of official complicity in trafficking, enhancing the training of front-line officers on victim identification and referral mechanisms, scaling up investigations and prosecutions, particularly for labour trafficking and activating the Victims’ Trust Fund to support the financial and reintegration needs of survivors.