As Nigeria joins the globe to mark the 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the Federal Government has called on partners in the anti-trafficking fight to curate a strategy that would check new tactics used by criminal syndicates to perpetrate human trafficking.

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Bello, made the call at a media briefing to kick-start activities of the celebration to scale up anti-trafficking efforts.

She said: “The fight against human trafficking has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends daily.

“This is coupled with a new destination and further exploitation of victims through disturbing trends, such as fake job opportunities and scholarships in some destination countries.”

Bello added that other evolving trends being witnessed in trafficking in persons are the recruitment of victims through the guise of marketing agents for some branded products, to exploit them. Others include sextortion, baby factories and other online scams.

Speaking to the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Human Trafficking is Organised Crime: End the Exploitation’, the DG insisted that all hands must be on deck to fight the scourge, which, according to her, is a global organised crime.

Bello said that the theme is a call for a deeper understanding of the nexus between human trafficking and organised criminal networks, and the multifaceted and multi-sectoral approach to disrupt operations of the gangs across the world, while ensuring a victim-centred approach.

“This is premised on the fact that organised criminal networks are driving this victimisation and exploitation, using migration flows, global supply chains, legal and economic loopholes, and digital platforms to facilitate cross-border trafficking at a massive scale.

“For us at NAPTIP, this day is not just symbolic; it is a time for deep reflection, renewed commitment, and coordinated action to stamp out human trafficking in Nigeria,” she adds.