Challenges of Anti-Child Trafficking Surveillance, Raids, and Rescue in Nigeria

This article reviews the current surveillance, raids, and rescue efforts in response to child trafficking in Nigeria. The article is drawn from an analysis of a broader doctoral study on children’s entry into and recruitment for domestic work, their experiences of it, as well as attempts to save them by NGOs and government officials. The strategy of surveillance, raids, and rescue is problematic because it is guided by simplistic notions of trafficking, spearheaded by agencies that are severely constrained, and contradicts the principle of solidarity and the informal support system upon which child domestic work thrives. It argues that rescuing victims and protecting them from exploitation do not address the fundamental conditions and social relations that make them vulnerable. Seeking to rescue and protect them without addressing these conditions remains the bane of anti-trafficking operations in the region. The paper calls for holistic, long-term, and sustainable efforts to address deprivation, ensure protection for the most vulnerable, and promote opportunities for individuals to realise their life goals.