Chief Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over the growing problem of human trafficking involving Nigerian girls, saying their presence in foreign countries has become a source of concern for host communities.

She made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during the presentation of a review of the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the United States Department of State.

Titi, who chairs the Board of Trustees of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), said international partners were supporting Nigeria’s anti-trafficking initiatives partly to discourage vulnerable girls from leaving the country and facing difficulties abroad.

She explained that the assistance was intended to strengthen efforts to protect young women and provide them with opportunities to remain in Nigeria.

According to her, the support extended to both anti-trafficking organisations and the girls themselves, with the aim of helping them build their lives within the country.

Titi also called for greater cooperation among civil society organisations, stressing that NACTAL could not effectively tackle human trafficking, child abuse and labour exploitation without the involvement of more stakeholders.

She described the organisations working with the network as essential frontline participants in the campaign against trafficking and related offences.

She disclosed that NACTAL currently works with about 286 civil society organisations, which support its activities across different communities.

Meanwhile, the network’s immediate past president and regional representative of the West African Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, Abdulganiu Abubakar, said a review of the 2025 US trafficking report found that the contributions of the Nigerian government, development partners and civil society groups were not adequately reflected.

He said the review was commissioned following the report’s release to assess its evaluation of Nigeria’s efforts, particularly in protecting victims, rehabilitating survivors and providing shelter.

Abubakar explained that development partners had supported policy development, assisted victims and helped renovate shelters managed by civil society organisations and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

He added that approximately 10 NAPTIP shelters had received renovation support, but the interventions were not sufficiently captured in the report.

He also argued that the contributions of more than 289 NACTAL member organisations, alongside Nigeria’s participation in regional anti-trafficking initiatives, deserved greater recognition.

However, he acknowledged that the country continued to face challenges in implementing anti-trafficking policies, citing insufficient funding, weak political commitment and shortcomings in prosecuting cases, particularly high-profile offences.

He urged the Federal Government to increase financial support for ministries, departments and agencies responsible for combating human trafficking and demonstrate stronger commitment to enforcing existing laws and policies.

Abubakar further called on the government to create an enabling environment for civil society organisations and development partners to operate independently while supporting public efforts to address the problem.

He also urged authorities to recognise the contributions of investigative journalists who expose trafficking networks and alleged perpetrators.

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

Osemene said the expansion would strengthen community participation and improve assistance for victims and other vulnerable groups.

He maintained that combating human trafficking should not be left to international partners alone, calling on Nigerians to take greater responsibility for tackling the crime.

He described the fight against trafficking as a collective responsibility requiring cooperation among government institutions, civil society groups, communities and other stakeholders.

Osemene added that his administration would prioritise capacity-building programmes to equip more civil society organisations with the professional skills needed to respond effectively to human trafficking and child labour cases.

He said the planned membership expansion would be accompanied by training initiatives designed to improve the quality of interventions and support available to victims.