Human Trafficking: 1 Out Of Every 250 Nigerians Is Living In Modern Slavery

According to data from The Global Slavery Index, an estimated 875,500 Nigerians are living in modern slavery.

Human trafficking is the largest crime industry in the world and perhaps, in Nigeria as well. Between 2013 and 2015 over 2900 people had been trafficked for prostitution or forced labour.

Females bear the brunt of this societal decadence with an alarming annual increase. In 2013, females accounted for 48.65% of humans trafficked in Nigeria. By 2015, this rate accelerated to about 76.38% with more than 50% for prostitution purposes.

Females within the age bracket of 18 – 27 were the largest targets for prostitution while females aged 28 and above where the least trafficked. The number of males trafficked for prostitution remains uncertain.

However, for forced labour, both male and females were targeted. Children between the ages of 1-17 were the most trafficked age group. On the other hand, adults within the age of 28 and above were the least trafficked. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) reports that the average age of children trafficked in Nigeria is 15.

The data below gives a descriptive visual insight into the demographics susceptible to human trafficking in Nigeria.

	2013		2014		2015
Age Group	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
0 – 5	3	9	28	26	19	20
6 – 15	156	351	180	393	214	108
16 – 25	275	133	259	88	358	51
26 – 35	40	15	38	11	75	28
36 & above	13	6	2	1	10	2
Total	487	514	507	519	676	209