International Collaboration - WOTCLEF's awareness activities have not been restricted to Nigeria. Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs.) Amina Titu Abubakar has led awareness campaigns to a number of European countries known to be recipients of young women and children trafficked from Nigeria. Similar visits have been taken to the United States, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. Her Excellency holds ongoing meetings throughout the country of Nigeria. Meetings with stakeholders and heads of state have led to WOTCLEF offices being set up in most of the states in Nigeria and the opening of WOTCLEF, USA (Tallahassee, Florida) in 2005.

The importance of local national and international networks cannot be overemphasized. Being part WOTCLEF collaborates with a number of local and international organizations, including the ILO/IPEC, UNICEF, IOM, NAPTIP, the National Council of Women's' Societies and a host of others. Also, WOTCLEF works with law enforcement authorities to strengthen institutional capacity for capturing and prosecuting traffickers.

In July 2003, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) granted WOTCLEF a Special Consultative Status. This distinguished status gives WOTCLEF the rare opportunity to maintain regular presence at the United Nations' meetings and conferences that are relevant to WOTCLEF's programs and activities.

Ongoing Activities:

Victims Assistance - WOTCLEF offers assistance to young women, boys and girls who are victims of trafficking and child labour. Psychosocial counseling is provided for repatriated victims. They also receive medical treatment, clothing, legal assistance and shelter. Whenever possible, victims are reunited with their families and offered vocational training. WOTCLEF has counseled thousands of repatriated victims. The goal is to eventually reintegrate the victims into society by ensuring that they are economically self-sufficient and psychologically well adjusted.

Education Assistance Scheme - Traffickers usually approach impoverished families and offer them as little as U.S. $15 to hand their son or daughter over to an employer. Many of the families who agree to sell their children hope that their child's employment will lead them to a better life filled with more opportunities. After the children are purchased from their parents, they are secretly transported to nearby countries. The children are bonded to the traffickers or to the person to whom they are sold. It is nearly impossible for them to work off the debt they owe to the trafficker and the childrens' families rarely have the means to raise enough money to buy them back. Under this scheme (program), WOTCLEF assists indigent students in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to attain their educational goals and aspirations. Such assistance includes payment of tuition, school fees, uniforms, books, supplies and other funds as needed. Many of the graduates have gone on to become skilled workers, attorneys, lawyers and doctors.

Rehabilitation Center - The current residential site offers lodging, protection, school assistance, meals and vocational training. The waiting list is always long due to limited capacity. However, plans are underway to construct a state of the art comprehensive center that will house over 1,000 women and children. Click for the proposed Rehabilitation Center

Youth Program - The youth program focus on life skills training, empowerment, building confidence and character. Realizing that peers learn form each other, the programs' objectives are carried out by graduates of the program.

Bus Conductor - The use of under aged boys as bus conductors in many urban cities is another problem. This practice deprives boys of their education and makes them vulnerable to criminal activities, which may include human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. In order to eradicate this practice, WOTCLEF established an enlightenment program with the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). A workshop was held for the national executive members of the NURTW and stickers are now used on vehicles informing drivers, and the public, that a program is launched and it's an offense to use children bus drivers. The program targets parents, bus drivers and the public.

Integrated Health and Community Development - This program in summary, involves a strategic effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among youth. Sponsored by the WORLD BANK HIV/AIDS, WOTCLEF developed a Teacher's Manual for HIV/AIDS Secondary Education Schools in Nigeria. WOTCLEF partners with the Care and Support Unit of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and regularly provides food and funds to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).

Voluntary Testing and Counseling Center (VTC) - The center offers confidential information and counseling for those who want to know their risks and status, thus providing effective means of preventing HIV transmission.

Advocacy - A significant landmark in the activities of WOTCLEF was the enactment of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 and the subsequent establishment of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This was a result of WOTCLEF's direct legislative advocacy. In 2001, Her Excellency presented a private bill before the law makers. President Obasanjo signed the bill into law on July 14, 2003, making Nigeria the first West African country to enact anti-trafficking legislation. The law provides for the investigation, prosecution and stiff penalties for traffickers. Today, NAFTIP is the focal point for all anti-human trafficking programs and activities in Nigeria.

Advocacy Activities:
Legal Advocacy covers legal representation of victims of human trafficking and child labour. Legislative Advocacy deals with the sensitization of policy makers and the implementation of best practices.

Massive Awareness Campaigns - From the beginning, WOTCLEF knew that the best way to reduce incidences of human trafficking and child labour was to appeal to the conscience of the people and raise their awareness of the evil inherent in these scourges. This has been done through workshops, seminars, conferences, state by state campaign tours, media advocacy, musical concerts, etc. WOTCLEF also sponsors a weekly television program which attempts to depict the operation of traffickers, how they lure innocent and vulnerable minors, and all the inherent risks and dangers associated with this evil practice.

Networking and Expanding Capacity through Research and Publishing:

• Disseminate best practices concerning WOTCLEF's focus areas.


• Conduct policy research regarding human trafficking, child labour and victim's reintegration into society.


• Program and project evaluation to monitor the impact and effectiveness of WOTCLEF's programs and policies.


• Surveillance studies.


• Submit grants to expand programs and services and increase global awareness.