The U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report has designated Nigeria as a Tier 2 country for the 13th consecutive year, indicating that the government is not fully compliant with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards but is making substantial efforts to adhere to them.
Nigeria, which last achieved Tier 1 status in 2011, has experienced fluctuating rankings between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 2 (Watch List) over the past 23 years based on annual reports.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 mandates the annual categorization of countries into four tiers:
– Tier 1 countries meet the TVPA’s minimum standards
– Tier 2 countries do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to do so
– Tier 2 Watch List countries are making similar efforts but are witnessing a notable increase in severe trafficking victims
– Tier 3 countries do not meet the minimum standards nor demonstrate significant efforts to do so
Despite having attained Tier 1 status in 2009, 2010, and 2011, Nigeria has faced challenges in reclaiming this position for more than a decade, spending periods on the Tier 2 Watch List in 2017, 2018, and 2020, along with 2004 and 2008.
Nigeria has remained a Tier 2 country for a cumulative period of 13 years across various years including 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The 2024 report acknowledged government efforts such as investigating 409 cases, prosecuting 49 suspects, and convicting 36 traffickers in the past year. However, a key challenge identified was the lack of adequate judicial training, impacting the prosecution process due to limited understanding and awareness of anti-trafficking laws among judges.
Corruption and impunity within the judiciary and law enforcement agencies were highlighted as factors hindering progress, along with the failure to investigate or prosecute members of the Civilian Joint Task Force for past forced recruitment or use of child soldiers.
Naijatraffic learnt that, Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, the Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration as a pivotal strategy to combat Trafficking in Persons and enhance Nigeria’s global reputation.
