Media, the Family, and Human Trafficking in Nigeria

Abstract

Human trafficking is a phenomenon that has attracted global attention. In Africa, it has existed even before the slave trade between Africans and Europeans, when people were trafficked for mainly economic and cultural reasons. The prevalence of human trafficking today, especially in developing countries, and the spate of ignorance among rural dwellers make it a complex issue requiring a multi-stakeholder approach for resolution. This chapter hypothesises that the more aware families are of human trafficking and its forms of manifestation, the less the likelihood of its occurrence. It was revealed that the media had not fulfilled its social responsibility in raising awareness about human trafficking, hence the continued involvement of people in this act. Further, it was discovered that most media professionals have little or no knowledge of the dimensions of human trafficking. Based on the findings, the chapter recommends that Nigerian media need to embark on effective public sensitisation in deconstructing human trafficking and its attendant consequences in Nigerian society.