Nigeria has remained a Tier 2 Country, according to the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report released on Friday by the United States Office to Monitor and Combat TIP.
According to the report, countries on Tier 2 ranking are those whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
The report, which was unveiled by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, is congressionally mandated and looks at efforts of governments globally at combating trafficking in persons.
The report noted that although the Federal Government did not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, it was making significant efforts to do so.
It stated that during the reporting period, the government demonstrated an increase in anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts by increasing the number of trafficking investigations, prosecutions and convictions.
It also said that the government made efforts by providing extensive specialised anti-trafficking training to officials from various government ministries and agencies.
It said: “The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters increased protection efforts by developing a formal referral mechanism for victim protection.
“It also increases the capacity of its shelters, identifying and providing services to a larger number of victims.”
The report commended the efforts of NAPTIP under the leadership of its Executive Secretary, Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
It said: “Under her leadership, NAPTIP has become a model throughout Africa for coordination of government anti-trafficking efforts.
“Her work has resulted in the incorporation of human trafficking issues into national development discourse and planning.
“She has improved NAPTIP’s relationships with critical partners in Nigeria’s anti-trafficking response, such as local and international NGOs and foreign governments.
“Not focused solely on the South/North trafficking routes, she has made significant efforts to return and reintegrate Nigerian survivors of human trafficking from several West African countries.
“She has led collaboration to address the trade in the region.
“Mrs Jedy-Agba also has initiated human trafficking public awareness campaigns to increase understanding and mobilise the general public.”
The report, however, said that despite the efforts made, the government had yet to pass the draft legislation that would restrict the ability of judges to offer fines in lieu of prison time during sentencing.
It added that the Ministry of Labour did not make any new efforts to address labour trafficking during the reporting period with the exception of receiving training from NAPTIP.
“Despite the growing number of Nigerian trafficking victims identified abroad, the government has yet to implement formal procedures for the return and reintegration of Nigerian victims,” the report said.
The report recommended that the draft anti-trafficking bill be passed and implemented.
The bill, when passed into law, is expected to amend the anti-trafficking law to give prosecutors more authority and restrict the ability of judges to offer fines in lieu of prison time during sentencing.
It also recommended authorities involved to ensure continuous pursuit of trafficking investigations, prosecutions of trafficking offences, and adequate sentences for convicted traffickers, including imprisonment whenever appropriate.
The report recommended that authorities should take proactive measures to investigate and prosecute government officials suspected of trafficking-related corruption and complicity in trafficking offences.
It proposed that the activities of NAPTIP receive sufficient funding, particularly for prosecuting trafficking offenders and providing adequate care for victims.
It also proposed that consistent training be provided to police and immigration officials to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as women in prostitution and young females travelling with non-family members.
The report recommended the full integration of anti-trafficking responsibilities into the work of the Nigerian Police Force and the Ministry of Labour.
Other recommendations included the development of a formal system to track the number of victims repatriated from abroad, and ensure victims are sensitised to available protective services.
It added that NAPTIP should effectively interact with and receive support from other government agencies that had stake in addressing human trafficking.
Other African countries that are ranked Tier 2 include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi and Mauritius.
Others include Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
No African country ranked Tier 1, while other African countries are either on the Tier 2 Watch list or Tier 3.
Tier 1 countries are those whose governments fully comply with the minimum standards of the TVPA.
Countries on the Tier 2 Watch list are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards.
The report states that such countries are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards based on commitments to take additional steps over the next year.
Tier 3 countries are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.
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