Nigeria last achieved Tier 1 status in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report in 2011 and hasn’t regained it since. Over a span of 22 years, from 2001 to 2023, the country’s ranking has oscillated between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 2 Watch List.
The annual Trafficking in Persons Report classifies countries into four tiers in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
Tier 1 includes countries whose governments meet the TVPA’s minimum standards.
Tier 2 encompasses countries whose governments don’t fully meet these standards but are actively working to do so.
Tier 2 Watch List includes countries with significant efforts but requiring more progress.
Finally, Tier 3 consists of countries not meeting minimum standards and not making sufficient efforts.
Countries on the Watch List must demonstrate substantial efforts in combating severe forms of trafficking.
If they don’t show progress, they risk being downgraded. Nigeria, which held Tier 1 status in 2009, 2010, and 2011, has struggled to regain it since.
The 2023 report cites factors such as the presence of two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and over 340,000 Nigerian refugees, making them vulnerable to traffickers due to limited access to economic opportunities and formal justice systems.
Terrorist threats and violence in the North have further exacerbated this vulnerability, making it difficult for the government to combat trafficking effectively.
Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, the Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration to combat trafficking and improve Nigeria’s global standing.
The foundation has implemented robust measures to fight trafficking, raise awareness, and support victim rehabilitation.
