Human trafficking generates $245bn annually — FG

The federal government has expressed deep concern over the growing threat of human trafficking, describing it as a global criminal business that now generates more than $245 billion annually. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) made this revelation during the 28th National Stakeholders’ Forum on Human Trafficking in Abuja, […]

The federal government has expressed deep concern over the growing threat of human trafficking, describing it as a global criminal business that now generates more than $245 billion annually.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) made this revelation during the 28th National Stakeholders’ Forum on Human Trafficking in Abuja, saying that Nigeria must act fast before the crime overwhelms the country.

He said the days of treating trafficking as a small offence were over, adding that traffickers have become smarter, more coordinated, and dangerously well-funded.

Using data from the International Labour Organisation, Fagbemi noted that $169.9 billion is made annually from sexual exploitation, while $75.9 billion comes from forced labour, including domestic servitude.

“This is organised crime, and it is no longer something we can leave to just one agency. It’s eating deep into our national security and must be tackled with full force,” he said.

In her welcome address, NAPTIP Director-General Hajiya Binta Adamu Bello noted that so far the agency has rescued 25,642 victims, arrested 11,406 suspects, and secured 750 convictions so far.

She reiterated her alarm over new trends such as cybercrime recruitment, baby factories, and loan-for-sex trafficking, where women are lured with online loans and then forced into prostitution to “repay” debts that never existed.

To strengthen the fight, NAPTIP also unveiled a National Human Trafficking Data Dashboard, developed in partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The dashboard is expected to help agencies coordinate better, track cases in real time, and close the gaps that traffickers often exploit.

UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Toure said the real fight must start at the grassroots as he called for more investment in local government structures and traditional institutions that can identify and stop trafficking before it escalates.

“Traffickers are united and well-organised. Our response must be even stronger.” he said.