THE National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the government of the Netherlands, have begun an on the spot assessment of Nigeria’s progress in tackling the menace trafficking in persons and violence against persons.

Under a multi-stakeholder programme titled ‘Building an Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria (TIPVAP–NG)’ being implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy and Development (ICMPD), the project focuses on  strengthening  Nigeria’s resilience to trafficking in persons and violence against persons through improved investigative and prosecutorial capacities among others.

Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, said that Nigeria has taken significant towards achieving the goals and objectives of the TIPVAP partnership in the five focal states of
The DG  stated this at the opening of the second Project Steering Committee (PSC), meeting of the Justice and Security, (J&S), organized  by the ICMPD in partnership with NAPTIP and the Ministry of Asylum and Migration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, yesterday in Abuja.

She explained that part of the project includes  the effective operationalization of the Cybercrime Response Team (CRT), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), training referral mechanisms for victims, and sustained awareness creation especially in the focal states of Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory.

The DG pointed that “The overall objective of the programme remains to strengthen Nigeria’s resilience to trafficking in persons and violence against persons. I am pleased to inform you that significant steps have been taken towards these goals since the commencement of the project in February 2025.

“The Project Steering Committee serves as the highest oversight and decision-making body for this project. Your guidance and strategic direction have been instrumental in ensuring accountability, coordination, and alignment with national priorities and international best practices”.

She stated that emerging trends in TIP and other challenges have made it more necessary for all partners to collaborate towards ending TIPVAP in Nigeria and the globe.

Presenting highlights of previous meeting by committee, Bello said “We emphasized the urgency of addressing irregular migration routes, strengthening investigative and prosecutorial capacity, and institutionalizing NAPTIP’s policies to ensure sustainability.

“The Netherlands delegation underscored the rising trafficking challenges in Europe, while ICMPD highlighted the importance of coordination and stakeholder engagement. Together, these discussions laid the foundation for the progress we are now  reviewing”.

Deputy Director General, Ministry if Asylum and Migration of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Victor Cramer, said “The urgency of this initiative is clear. Recent data indicate that Nigerian trafficking victims still make up a significant share of the total number of victims identified in the Netherlands, and we see a connection between sexual exploitation and forced criminality.

“This underlines the need for effective prevention, protection, and prosecution, working together in a coordinated manner, strengthening our cooperation is therefore essential. Through capacity building, we can help reduce the number of people who risk their lives on dangerous routes to Europe, while strengthening our joint fight against human trafficking”.

He adds that the idea for the project emerged earlier, in June 2024 during a hybrid bilateral working group focused on human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and border management.

Also speaking, Nigeria Head of Office, ICMPD, Isabelle Wolsgruber, observed that awareness creation on the devastating impacts of trafficking in persons, migrating irregularly means as well as what the dangers are that you’re exposing yourself to, and how to identify them, remains key to tackling the menace.