The Role of European NGOs in Combating Human Trafficking in Edo State

This research examines the role of European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in combating human trafficking in Edo State, South-South Nigeria, a state identified in numerous reports as a major origin zone for victims of trafficking to Europe, particularly Italy and Germany. European NGOs, in partnership with Nigerian counterparts and supported by EU funding, have implemented anti-trafficking programmes focused on awareness-raising, survivor support, and livelihood alternatives. This descriptive case study draws on reports from Caritas Italy, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), and EU anti-trafficking programme evaluations, supplemented by secondary literature published between 2020 and 2024. Interviews were conducted with social workers, survivors, and community leaders in Benin City and selected local government areas in Edo State, with attention to the perspectives of women and young girls most vulnerable to trafficking recruitment. The study investigates the effectiveness of European NGO-led anti-trafficking interventions, identifies coordination gaps between NGOs and the Nigerian National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and assesses the sustainability of community-level prevention initiatives. Findings suggest that while European NGO programmes have provided critical support services to survivors, structural drivers including poverty, inequality, and social normalisation of migration persist in enabling trafficking networks. Keywords: human trafficking, Edo State, European NGOs, NAPTIP, anti-trafficking intervention.