The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to curb human trafficking through Nigeria’s waterways and coastal routes.
The partnership was formalised on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, to the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Dr. Akutah Ukeyima, at the Council’s headquarters in Abuja. The engagement forms part of NAPTIP’s nationwide strategy to deepen inter-agency cooperation in the fight against human trafficking.
Bello noted that heightened enforcement at land borders has forced traffickers to exploit maritime routes for illicit activities. She emphasised that the maritime sector, under the regulatory oversight of the NSC, plays a vital role in detecting, preventing, and reporting trafficking cases.
NAPTIP is proposing targeted sensitisation for port workers, shipping agents, freight forwarders, vessel crew members, and other maritime stakeholders, using NSC’s outreach structures and platforms such as the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) and the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT). The aim is to enhance early identification and prompt reporting of suspected trafficking activities.
Dr. Ukeyima described human trafficking as a grave transnational crime with devastating consequences, underscoring the need for collective action. He pledged the Council’s commitment to work with NAPTIP to address vulnerabilities in the maritime sector, including stowaway cases used to transport victims abroad.
The visit concluded with the formation of an interim inter-agency committee to design the operational framework for the new counter-trafficking partnership.
