GIABA AND ECOWAS Gender Development Centre convene regional forum to combat human trafficking and transnational organized crime
20 Dec, 2025
In a landmark move to dismantle the financial architecture of modern slavery, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) have launched a critical three-day Regional Forum in Lagos, Nigeria (December 17-19, 2025). This gathering transcends traditional security conferences by explicitly framing human trafficking as a gender-based financial crime. It unites financial intelligence units, law enforcement, gender experts, and policymakers to develop a cohesive, region-wide strategy that targets the profits driving this $150 billion global illicit enterprise.
The opening session established a powerful, multi-dimensional framework for the discussions, recognizing that effective combat requires understanding the crime’s three core facets: its financial sophistication, its gendered victimization, and its exploitation of regional vulnerabilities.
Setting the strategic tone, Mrs. Biola Shotunde, representing Ms. Hafsat Abubakar Bakari of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), made a pivotal argument: treating trafficking solely as a law-and-order issue is futile without following the money. She highlighted that traffickers rely on complex financial networks—using shell companies, trade-based money laundering, and digital payments—to hide their proceeds. Her statement, “Trafficking cannot be effectively tackled without integrating anti-money laundering and counter-financing tools,” underscores a paradigm shift. This means financial regulators must now analyze transaction patterns for red flags of trafficking, such as frequent small cash deposits or structured payments to recruitment agencies, just as they do for drug cartels.
Echoing the operational challenges, Mrs. Hajara Tunde-Osho, representing Mrs. Binta L. Adamu Bello, OON of NAPTIP, detailed the traffickers’ alarming adaptability. Beyond porous land borders, criminals now exploit digital platforms—using social media for recruitment, encrypted apps for coordination, and cryptocurrency for ransom payments. This evolution demands that anti-trafficking units develop equivalent technological forensic capabilities and real-time data-sharing protocols across borders to track virtual and physical movements simultaneously.
Dr. Jeff Isima of GIABA grounded the forum in sobering reality with data revealing that over 75% of West African trafficking victims are children. He identified the toxic synergy of root causes: poverty creates supply, gender inequality (like limited education and economic opportunities for women and girls) increases vulnerability, and weak institutional capacity allows for impunity. His call for “clear accountability mechanisms” points to the need for standardized regional performance metrics that track not just arrests, but prosecutions, asset recoveries, and survivor support outcomes.
The most comprehensive vision was outlined by Dr. Udeme Nsikak Abia, representing Her Excellency, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs. She explicitly linked human trafficking to broader security threats, noting that laundered trafficking profits can fuel terrorism and destabilize communities. Her three forum objectives provide a blueprint for action:
- Financial Risk Analysis: To dissect the specific money laundering/terrorist financing risks associated with women, recognizing they are often used as both low-profile couriers and primary victims.
- Knowledge Platform: To move beyond siloed successes, creating a living repository of “what works”—from Ghana’s specialized trafficking courts to Senegal’s community surveillance programs.
- Gender-Responsive Consensus: To build agreement on mechanisms that address unique needs, such as ensuring female survivors have access to female investigators and economic reintegration programs tailored to their skills.
By declaring the forum open, she championed a move from deliberation to actionable intelligence. The ultimate challenge laid before participants is to create a unified West African front where a financial alert in Dakar triggers an investigative action in Abuja, and where survivor-centered policies are harmonized across borders to ensure protection is continuous, not conditional on geography. This forum represents a critical step toward making the region a hostile environment for traffickers and a safer one for its most vulnerable.