The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has reaffirmed its commitment to a rights-based response to human trafficking and violence across the country.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, made the pledge on Tuesday at the second steering meeting of the Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons project.
The meeting was organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in partnership with NAPTIP, with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Asylum and Migration under the project titled “Building an Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria.”
The Dutch delegation was led by Mr. Victor Cramer, Deputy Director-General of the ministry, alongside Ms. Isabelle Wolfsgruber, ICMPD Nigeria Head of Office.
Adamu-Bello said NAPTIP was ready to consolidate gains recorded since the project’s inaugural meeting in August 2025 and expand its reach to transform lives.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this second Project Steering Committee meeting under the Justice and Security Migration Partnership Programme,” she said.
She expressed appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for its sustained support in strengthening Nigeria’s counter-trafficking interventions and commended ICMPD for its technical expertise and collaboration.
According to her, the meeting would review progress made in Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, while addressing emerging challenges, lessons learnt and strategic adjustments required to achieve the project’s objectives.
The director-general noted that the programme aims to strengthen investigative and prosecutorial capacity, operationalise the Cybercrime Response Team and standard operating procedures, and enhance referral mechanisms and awareness campaigns.
She described the steering committee as the highest oversight body to ensure accountability, coordination and alignment with national and international standards.
Cramer commended NAPTIP for its dedication to protecting vulnerable Nigerians and raising awareness about trafficking.
“Your dedication to protecting Nigerians and raising awareness about human trafficking is truly inspiring and much needed,” he said.
He observed that Nigerian victims still constitute a significant share of identified trafficking cases in the Netherlands, noting links between sexual exploitation and forced criminality that require coordinated prevention, protection and prosecution efforts.
Cramer added that strengthened cooperation and capacity building would help reduce dangerous migration routes and enhance joint anti-trafficking efforts.
Wolfsgruber also thanked NAPTIP for the opportunity to assess ongoing anti-trafficking initiatives in Nigeria, urging stakeholders to remain focused on achieving the project’s objectives.
She acknowledged the human rights-centred design of the programme and expressed confidence in the progress recorded so far.