National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons


The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons is a law enforcement agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, founded in 2003 in order to combat human trafficking and other similar human rights violations.
NAPTIP is one of the agencies under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Origin

NAPTIP was established under a federal bill on July 14, 2003 by the Trafficking in Persons Enforcement and Administration Act through the advocacy of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation.

Objectives

NAPTIP is mandated to enforce the Trafficking in Persons Enforcement and Administration Act in Nigeria

Departments

To discharge its duty smoothly in combating human trafficking, the agency has the following departments and units:
Units
Currently, the agency has 9 zonal commands located in Lagos, Benin, Enugu, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Oshogbo, and Makurdi.

Working With CSOs

The agency partners non-government organizations to carry out its tasks in different states. In 2013, NAPTIP started partnering with Devatop Centre for Africa Development, a youth-led anti-human trafficking organization, to train and empower youth in combating human trafficking in Nigeria, as well as investigating cases and rescuing victims. NAPTIP also partners with Network of CSOs Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, and many others.

Achievements

Since its inception, the agency has had over 331 convictions on human trafficking, as of September 2017.
Between 2003 and 2017, over 3000 victims have been rescued by NAPTIP. The agency has been at the forefront of rescuing and rehabilitating Nigerians from Libya, with the help of Federal Government, International Office or Migration, and other international organizations, which has gotten a commendation from United States.