Nigeria, France, and Italy Unite in ‘Common Operational Partnership’ to Combat Human Trafficking
Nigeria has entered a new phase of international cooperation with France and Italy through a joint initiative tagged the ‘Common Operational Partnership (COP)’, officially unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday.
European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, while addressing participants at the launch, said the project seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s institutional response and expand its international collaboration framework.
PulseNets learnt that the partnership targets two primary goals — to enhance the operational capacity of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and to dismantle organized criminal networks across major migration routes.
Mignot told PulseNets that the initiative was “a concrete step forward in safeguarding human dignity and protecting victims.”
“Human trafficking violates fundamental rights. The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the renewed EU Action Plan will build on this momentum. Our goal is to ensure that coordination, technical expertise, and cooperation with countries of origin and transit are firmly established,”
he said, adding that the ‘Team Europe’ approach remains central to the EU’s strategy in combating trafficking and related transnational crimes.
He further reported that the collaboration will bring together the French Ministry of the Interior and the Italian Ministry of the Interior under the Migration Partnership Facility, with a shared commitment to managing and monitoring migration flows effectively.
According to him, human trafficking syndicates exploit the most vulnerable groups and undermine societal stability. He emphasized that providing structured international security cooperation and reinforcing migrants’ dignity were key outcomes expected from the initiative.
“This project sends a unified message — that only through coordinated global effort can we dismantle trafficking rings, protect the vulnerable, and uphold the dignity of every individual,”
Mignot told PulseNets.
Similarly, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, described the initiative as a testament to shared values and mutual responsibility among nations.
“This project reflects a shared conviction — that human dignity knows no borders. Combating human trafficking is not just a necessity; it is a moral duty. The scourge remains silent but devastating,”
he stated.
Fonbaustier reported that the project is both ambitious and action-driven, focusing on enhancing law enforcement collaboration, intelligence sharing, and support for victims of trafficking.
He commended the Federal Government of Nigeria, NAPTIP, and the country’s security agencies for their continuous efforts toward eradicating the menace, revealing that the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) would fund the initiative, while CIVIPOL, the French Ministry of the Interior’s technical cooperation agency, would oversee its implementation.
“Fighting human trafficking is synonymous with fighting poverty,”
he added.
Meanwhile, NAPTIP’s Director-General, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, spoke to PulseNets, describing Nigeria as a critical player in West Africa’s migration landscape.
“Nigeria stands at the intersection of origin, transit, and destination in the trafficking chain — which makes our challenges multifaceted and dynamic,”
she said.
She highlighted that NAPTIP’s five pillars — Policy, Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership — have guided the agency’s achievements over the years. However, she admitted that evolving trafficking patterns demand innovative and adaptive responses.
“The Common Operational Partnership represents a strategic opportunity to consolidate gains and implement evidence-based, context-specific strategies to tackle trafficking and smuggling in Nigeria,”
Adamu-Bello told PulseNets, adding that the initiative rests on four pillars — Joint Needs Assessment, Training and Mentoring, Operational Support, and Geographic Focus.
According to her, the COP project will launch pilot operations in Cross River, Osun, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory, strategically selected for their proximity to high-risk migration corridors.
She revealed that these routes have witnessed rising cases of irregular migration and trafficking attempts targeting Europe and other developed nations.
“To effectively confront these threats, coordinated, sustained, and intelligence-driven actions are indispensable — and that’s exactly what this project seeks to achieve,”
she added.
The Common Operational Partnership stands as one of the most comprehensive multinational efforts yet to curb human trafficking in West Africa, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to cross-border collaboration and human rights protection.
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About the Common Operational Partnership (COP)
The Common Operational Partnership (COP) is a collaborative initiative between Nigeria, France, and Italy, supported by the European Union, to strengthen international efforts against human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The project focuses on four strategic pillars — Joint Needs Assessment, Training and Mentoring, Operational Support, and Geographic Focus — aimed at boosting the investigative, prosecutorial, and victim-support capacities of key institutions like NAPTIP.
Funded by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and implemented by CIVIPOL, the French Ministry of the Interior’s technical cooperation agency, the COP seeks to dismantle trafficking networks, enhance intelligence sharing, and promote coordinated operations along high-risk migration routes across Nigeria and West Africa.
