WOMEN AND SEX TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA: A SOCIO-RELIGIOUS PANACEA

Abstract

Sex trafficking remains one of the most egregious violations of human rights in contemporary Nigeria, with women and girls constituting the overwhelming majority of victims. We are committed to view a comprehensive socio-religious analysis of women and sex trafficking in Nigeria, examining the socio-economic, cultural, and structural factors that perpetuate vulnerability, and proposing a socio-religious framework as a panacea. Drawing on existing empirical literature, policy documents, and theological perspectives, the study argues that Nigeria's multifaceted trafficking crisis demands equally multifaceted responses that integrate sociological interventions, including poverty alleviation, education, and legislative enforcement—with the moral authority and community reach of religious institutions. The paper identifies religion not merely as a coping mechanism but as a potent institutional force capable of reshaping patriarchal norms, mobilising grassroots awareness, and providing psychosocial rehabilitation for survivors. The study concludes that a synergistic socio-religious model, involving governmental agencies, civil society, faith-based organisations, and international bodies, offers the most viable pathway to dismantling the structural conditions that sustain sex trafficking in Nigeria.