Titi Atiku Decries Trafficking, Says Nigerian Girls Becoming Nuisance Abroad

Chief Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has decried human trafficking, warning that Nigerian girls travelling abroad are becoming a “nuisance” in their host countries.

Titi, who chairs the Board of Trustees of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during the presentation of the organisation’s review of the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the United States Department of State.

She said international partners were supporting Nigeria’s anti-trafficking efforts partly because they wanted Nigerian girls to remain in the country rather than become a burden on foreign communities.

“Our girls are becoming nuisance in overseas countries. So that is why these partners are helping us,” she said.

She added that the support extended to both anti-trafficking programmes and vulnerable girls, stressing the need to address the conditions that expose them to exploitation.

Titi, who founded the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), also called for stronger cooperation among civil society organisations, saying no single organisation could effectively tackle trafficking, child abuse and child labour alone.

She described organisations working with NACTAL as frontline participants in efforts to prevent exploitation and support victims.

The immediate past president of NACTAL, Abdulganiu Abubakar, said the organisation’s review found that the contributions of the Nigerian government, development partners and civil society groups were underrepresented in the US trafficking report.

He said international partners had supported policy development, victim assistance and the refurbishment of shelters operated by civil society organisations and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

According to him, about 10 NAPTIP shelters had benefited from refurbishment support, although these interventions were not adequately reflected in the report.

Abubakar acknowledged that Nigeria continued to face challenges in implementing anti-trafficking policies, citing inadequate funding, weak political commitment and shortcomings in prosecuting cases, particularly high-profile cases.

He urged the Federal Government to increase funding for agencies responsible for combating trafficking and improve collaboration with civil society organisations.

NACTAL President Osita Osemene also announced plans to expand the network’s membership from about 286 civil society organisations to 500 within three months and at least 1,000 within a year.

He said the expansion would be accompanied by capacity-building programmes to strengthen efforts to protect victims and vulnerable groups.

Osemene maintained that combating human trafficking required collective action by government agencies, civil society groups, development partners and the wider public.