The Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Africa has commenced a multi-state advocacy tour aimed at combating human trafficking across Nigeria, beginning with identified high-risk states and culminating in strategic engagements in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The initiative, led by NIDO Africa Continental Chairman, Jude Osakwe, marks a significant escalation in diaspora-led intervention against trafficking networks, with a focus on prevention, collaboration, and survivor support.
Speaking on the outreach, Osakwe described the campaign as a “direct challenge to trafficking networks,” noting that the first phase covered Benue State, Delta State and Edo State—regions long identified as critical nodes in both internal and transnational trafficking routes.
According to him, Benue serves largely as a corridor for labour exploitation, while Delta and Edo have been consistently flagged by global monitoring agencies as epicentres of sex trafficking pipelines extending from southern Nigeria to Europe.
During the Benue leg, the NIDO delegation engaged officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Makurdi. The agency’s Head of Public Enlightenment, Torkwase Yaji, described the visit as timely, stressing that sustained collaboration between government institutions and civil society remains essential in reversing trafficking trends in vulnerable communities.
In Delta, the advocacy drive drew participation from the state government, with the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Morals, Favour Obakoro, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to grassroots sensitisation and youth protection. She noted that tackling human trafficking has become a governance priority for the state.
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Similarly, in Edo, discussions with the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Osarodion Osagie, highlighted ongoing efforts to repatriate stranded indigenes across West Africa. He underscored the strategic importance of diaspora networks in identifying victims and facilitating reintegration.
The tour concluded in Abuja with the formalisation of a partnership between NIDO Africa and the Africa Development Center. The collaboration will prioritise vocational training, entrepreneurship development, and economic empowerment programmes for at-risk youths and survivors of trafficking.
Osakwe emphasised that economic vulnerability remains a key driver of human trafficking, adding that skill acquisition and sustainable livelihoods are critical to breaking the cycle of exploitation.
“The diaspora has both a moral obligation and practical capacity to intervene, given its exposure to the realities of trafficking abroad,” he said, noting that the current tour represents only the first phase of a broader, sustained national campaign.
NIDO Africa is expected to follow up the advocacy visits with monitoring mechanisms, expanded stakeholder engagements, and a planned nationwide mega rally, as part of efforts to build a coordinated, multi-level response to human trafficking in Nigeria.