Human trafficking, stowaways cause $100m global loss yearly-Shippers Council

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has raised an alarm that human trafficking and stowaway activities account for over $100 million in global economic losses annually.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Dr Pius Akutah, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the MMS WoFHoF Initiative, an NGO, during a courtesy visit to explore collaboration against trafficking by sea.

Akutah said human trafficking through maritime routes had grown across Africa in the past decade, with stowaways increasingly becoming a major means of transporting victims.

He called for inter-agency and multi-sectoral partnerships to curb the crime, which he described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

“The maritime sector is not left out of this. Stowaways have become a major means of transporting victims. These criminal activities also destroy the economy of the ports,” Akutah said.

He noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had repeatedly expressed strong opposition to abuses within the sector, particularly sexual harassment on vessels, and assured that the ministry would prioritise tackling trafficking and related crimes.

Akutah stressed that the NSC, as the port economic regulator, would partner with NAPTIP, MMS WoFHoF, and other critical agencies, such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), to strengthen maritime security and ensure ports are not exploited by traffickers.

In her remarks, NAPTIP Director-General, Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, said intensified surveillance at Nigeria’s land borders had forced traffickers to shift their operations to the waterways.

She described the NSC as a “critical partner” in safeguarding the nation’s trade gateways from exploitation.

“The shipping, ports and logistics sectors can play a pivotal role in early detection, prevention and reporting of trafficking activities. Collaboration between NAPTIP and NSC is not only strategic but essential to protect vulnerable persons and strengthen maritime security,” Bello said.