In Nigeria, policy shifts are crucial for urban professionals, rural communities, and the agricultural sector, in particular. In 2025, the NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) policy is increasingly intersecting with farming, often in unexpected ways. In this article, we will discuss how NAPTIP’s evolving mandate is shaping farming in Nigeria today, from protection of labour to opportunities for regulation and paths for farmers to benefit.
Established in 2003 under the Trafficking in Persons law, NAPTIP is Nigeria’s key federal agency mandated to prevent, prosecute and protect victims of trafficking. Its functions include enforcement of anti-trafficking laws, public awareness, investigation of forced labour or exploitative employment, asset seizure, and co-operation with other agencies. In 2015, the Act was updated to strengthen enforcement, increase penalties, and broaden the scope.
Although NAPTIP has long been associated with churning out human trafficking, sex exploitation and forced labour in migration, the agency’s reach is expanding and touching rural sectors, including agriculture. This is so because farming in Nigeria often relies on seasonal labour, migrant workers, youth seeking temporary employment and informal arrangements. All of which are vulnerable to exploitation. In addition, NAPTIP’s regulatory and protection mandate means that farming businesses, co-operatives and labour contractors must now consider compliance, labour rights and ethical supply chains. Coupled with that, farming communities that are remote or underserved can become targets for unscrupulous recruitment, especially of youth or children, which NAPTIP is mandated to prevent.
Therefore, in 2025, the NAPTIP policy has become relevant for farm owners, labourers, state agricultural departments, and rural development actors.
NAPTIP has placed farms and agricultural labour under closer watch in 2025. The agency now investigates a wider range of exploitation reports linked to farming areas. These reports include underage workers being used during planting or harvest seasons, unpaid or severely underpaid labourers working in crop fields, poultry, or plantations, and workers recruited with deceptive promises (such as inflated wages or fake accommodation offers). Reports also include vulnerable youths forced into farm work, often through debt, threats, or manipulation.
This new focus applies to both large commercial farms and small family-owned farms. The goal is to discourage hidden exploitation, often ignored in rural communities.
Every year, thousands migrate from the Northern to the Southern part of Nigeria in search of farming jobs. In 2025, NAPTIP had tightened its monitoring systems to protect these workers. The agency now reviews:
If any recruitment process is undocumented, suspicious, or exploitative, the farm or contractor may be subject to investigation. This pushes farms to register workers properly and prevent trafficking disguised as employment.
Farming-heavy states such as Benue, Ondo, Kaduna, Oyo, Cross River, and Edo are now priority zones for NAPTIP’s 2025 sensitisation campaigns. These campaigns are designed to educate rural youths on how traffickers package trafficking schemes as “farm work” opportunities. Furthermore, the campaigns warn farmers about the risks of hiring workers through illegal recruitment channels, and encourage farming communities to adopt transparent labour systems. NAPTIP intentionally focuses on rural hubs because that is where most deceptive recruitment begins.
More farms now face the responsibility of showing that their labour practices meet ethical standards. This is especially important for large-scale farms and plantations, cooperative farming groups, and export-focused agribusinesses that must comply with international rules. Buyers, export partners, and regulatory bodies now expect proof of ethical labour practices from farms. They increasingly request documentation to confirm:
These compliance checks show how strongly NAPTIP’s guidelines are shaping the agricultural sector in 2025. Farms that fail to provide this evidence risk losing contracts, market access, or even facing regulatory penalties.
Rather than just rescuing victims, NAPTIP now works with NGOs, state agencies, and community groups to reintegrate survivors through agricultural pathways. Victims can also access vocational and entrepreneurial training, farm-skills training, and relevant support to enter agriculture safely, either through employment or small farm startups.
Farm communities can even partner with NAPTIP to receive trained labour, participate in empowerment programmes, or support skill-building for reintegrated youths. This strengthens rural economies and gives victims safer alternatives to exploitative work.
Here’s what these policy changes actually mean for farmers, community leaders, and agribusiness owners:
1. Casual Hiring Without Proper Records is no Longer Safe: Even basic documentation (names, ages, payment agreements, duration of work) now protects farmers from being accused of labour trafficking or forced labour practices.
2. Children Working on Farms Can Lead to Serious Penalties: NAPTIP now monitors child involvement in farming more closely. Even when children are helping family members, they should not be allowed toperform hazardous, heavy, or risky tasks. Farms must prove that all labour is age-appropriate.
3. Labour Contractors Are Under Tighter Scrutiny: If a farm depends on middlemen or agents to source workers, those agents must follow legal recruitment standards. Any contractor using deceptive or undocumented methods can place a farm under investigation.
4. Farmers Can Benefit From NAPTIP-supported programmes: Reintegration and skills-training programmes can supply farms with trained, dependable workers, giving communities access to safer and more organised labour sources.
5. The Public and Commercial Reputation of a Farm is now at Stake: Ethical labour practices are increasingly becoming a market advantage, especially for farms dealing with exporters, cooperatives, or large buyers. Good labour records can boost credibility, while poor practices can damage one’s farm business.
To stay compliant, avoid penalties, and benefit from the new labour-protection direction, here’s a straightforward guide
1. Document every worker you hire: Keep a basic record for each person on your farm, including:
These simple records can protect you if any labour questions arise.
2. Avoid employing minors in hazardous tasks: Children should not be involved in handling chemicals or pesticides, operating machines or farm equipment, carrying heavy loads, or any activity considered unsafe or physically demanding. If children must assist on family farms, their tasks must be light and safe.
3. Verify recruitment agents before accepting workers: Before allowing any agent to supply labour, ask for a valid ID, their registration or licence details, and a clear explanation of how they source and transport workers. This helps you avoid unknowingly partnering with traffickers or illegal recruiters.
4. Display NAPTIP hotlines on your farm: Posting the numbers 627 and 0703 000 0203 shows transparency, builds trust with workers, and helps prevent abuse. It signals that a farm supports legal and ethical labour practices.
5. Train workers on their rights: A quick 10-minute briefing at the start of each season can prevent misunderstanding. Teach workers their basic rights, safety rules, and how to report any problem.
6. Connect with your state’s NAPTIP office: Many farmers do not know that NAPTIP actually assists rural communities, offering guidance on safe recruitment, training support, access to reintegrated, skilled workers, and labour-related advice. A simple visit or phone call can help farmers and businesses stay compliant and benefit from available programmes.
