Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The problem of protection and assistance to trafficked persons has become a serious concern to the Nigerian Government. The country introduced the National Policy on Protection and Assistance to Trafficked Persons in Nigeria 2008 (NPPATPN). However, despite having the policy, the country is still ranked among the countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standard in the prevention of human trafficking and protection of trafficked persons. In addition, the reports from the United Nations and National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) reported that millions of Nigerians are still vulnerable to human trafficking and cases of human trafficking continue to increase. These scenarios raise questions about the actual purpose of the policy, as well as the effectiveness and performance of its implementation. Hence, based on the perspective of policy stakeholders, this study aims to answer: (1) What are the stakeholders’ perception about the purpose of NPPATPN? (2) What has been the effects of the policy on the lives of trafficked persons? (3) What factors do the stakeholders perceive to be the obstacles in achieving NPPATPN objectives? The study employs a qualitative method, where semi-structural interviews are conducted with fifteen selected informants from four groups of stakeholders (Government Officials, International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Trafficked Persons).