Nigeria, France and Italy Launch €1.43m Joint Crackdown as Human Trafficking Surges Across West Africa

New EU-backed partnership aims to dismantle powerful trafficking networks, strengthen NAPTIP operations and boost protection for victims.

Nigeria has entered a new phase in its long and bruising battle against human trafficking after sealing a strategic security partnership with France and Italy to disrupt the criminal networks moving thousands of Nigerians across dangerous migration routes every year.

The Common Operational Partnership (COP) agreement, signed in Abuja and co-funded by the European Union, allocates €1.43m to a joint operation that will run until June 2027. The project is designed to boost the capacity of Nigeria’s anti-trafficking agency, NAPTIP, intensify cross-border intelligence sharing, and strengthen victim support systems.

The deal comes as one of the world’s grim migration realities shows no sign of slowing. A 2022 report estimates that between 750,000 and one million Nigerians are trafficked annually — with the country serving as a source, transit and destination point for trafficking rings that operate from West Africa to Europe

EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, said the partnership is built on a practical, results-driven framework centred on needs assessment, targeted training, equipment support and daily mentoring for officers.

“It builds trust and ensures sustainable impact,” he said, adding that the EU is set to announce a reinforced strategy against human trafficking in 2026 to respond to emerging global trends.

French Ambassador Marc Fonbaustier described trafficking as a “silent but devastating scourge” and insisted that no country can combat organised trafficking networks alone.

“Behind every tragedy are criminal groups thriving on poverty and instability. That is why France, Italy and Nigeria are joining forces — pooling expertise and resources — to dismantle these networks and protect victims,” he said.

Representing NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello, Josiah Emerole said the collaboration provides a rare opportunity to deepen intelligence sharing, strengthen joint investigations and deliver more victim-centred interventions.

The project will begin with pilot operations in Cross River, Osun, Katsina and the Federal Capital Territory — states positioned along high-risk trafficking routes, particularly those linked to irregular migration toward Europe.

Emerole said the four-pillar approach — joint needs assessment, mentoring, operational support and targeted geographic focus — will enhance NAPTIP’s ability to track, investigate and prosecute traffickers.

The Nigerian government says it continues to receive distress calls from trafficked citizens, especially in Libya, where thousands of Nigerians remain stranded.

Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, said the government is working to repatriate victims and is currently building a comprehensive database of Nigerians who left the country through irregular routes.

“We need accurate records to fix the problem,” he said. “You cannot govern migration without data.”

Migration specialists have applauded the agreement, noting that Nigeria urgently needs stronger international alliances.

Osita Osemene, a migration expert working with EU-backed reintegration programmes, said Italy’s involvement is particularly strategic because it is a major entry point for trafficked Nigerians attempting to reach Europe.

“This collaboration will help cut off trafficking pipelines and also support the reintegration of returnees,” he said. “Unattended returnees often become traffickers themselves — that’s how the cycle continues.”

Another expert, Tayo Adenuga, said many Nigerians fall victim due to “the false belief that success is only found abroad”.

He said the funding and combined expertise from Italy and France will give Nigeria the financial and operational muscle needed to launch stronger nationwide awareness campaigns and empower vulnerable groups.

Migration partners including ICMPD and CIVIPOL also expressed optimism that the partnership could significantly improve Nigeria’s anti-trafficking outcomes if fully implemented.