Nigeria has not achieved Tier 1 status in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report since 2011, according to Findwhosabi observations. The country’s ranking has oscillated between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 2 (Watch List) over the past 22 years.
The Trafficking in Persons Report classifies countries into four tiers as per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000:
- Tier 1: Countries whose governments meet the TVPA’s minimum standards.
- Tier 2: Countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s standards but are actively working toward compliance.
- Tier 2 Watch List: Countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s standards but are making significant efforts to do so. These countries must demonstrate a significant number of trafficking victims, or an increasing trend in such cases, without sufficient evidence of increased anti-trafficking efforts compared to the previous year.
- Tier 3: Countries whose governments do not meet the minimum standards and are not actively working toward them.
Nigeria achieved Tier 1 status in 2009, 2010, and 2011 but has struggled to regain it since. Instead, it has held Tier 2 Watch List status in 2017, 2018, and 2020, as well as in 2004 and 2008.
Key factors cited in the 2023 report contributing to Nigeria’s ranking include:
- The presence of approximately two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and over 340,000 Nigerian refugees in other countries. These individuals face heightened vulnerability to traffickers due to limited access to economic opportunities and formal justice systems.
- Escalating terrorist threats resulting in violence, which has exacerbated the vulnerability of many IDPs and hindered the government’s capacity to combat trafficking effectively, especially in northern regions.
- Reports indicating that traffickers have exploited IDPs relocating to cities and neighboring countries for forced labor, notably in areas such as Gombe, Kano, and Niger.
Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, the Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation, emphasized the importance of enhanced inter-agency collaboration to combat trafficking and improve Nigeria’s global standing. The organization has implemented robust measures to combat trafficking, raise awareness, and support the rehabilitation of victims.