The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has attributed the increasing cases of migration and human trafficking in Nigeria to decades of economic decline and industrial collapse.
Yilwatda stated this on Monday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja during the public presentation of Vicious Red Circle, a novel by Ambassador Alex Ugochukwu Oriaku, which explores the grim realities of human trafficking in Nigeria.
According to the APC chairman, the country’s prolonged economic challenges have created a fertile ground for exploitation by traffickers.
“Our economic decay over four decades created fertile ground for exploitation. When industries collapsed and hope disappeared, migration and trafficking surged,” he said.
Yilwatda, who previously served as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and chaired the African-European Migration and Development Team, noted that the roots of the problem lie in structural economic weaknesses and social inequality.
He called for a community-driven and inclusive approach to combating human trafficking, emphasising that the responsibility should not rest on government agencies alone.
“We can stop this cycle. This book challenges us to do so. It must not remain on your shelf — let it remain in your heart,” he added.
In his remarks, Ambassador Oriaku described human trafficking as “a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of exploitation, vulnerability, and silence,” explaining that his novel was written as a call to action rather than mere fiction.
The event, chaired by Yilwatda, drew attendance from lawmakers, heads of government agencies, and development partners, all of whom echoed the need for stronger collaboration and sustainable strategies to curb human trafficking in Nigeria.