The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has raised the alarm over the role of some travel agents in facilitating human trafficking, urging stricter vigilance within the sector to curb the menace.

The NIDCOM boss made this observation while speaking at the 59th anniversary of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, alongside its Conference, Annual General Meeting and Exhibition in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the weekend.

Dabiri-Erewa expressed deep concern over the increasing number of vulnerable Nigerians, particularly young women, being trafficked abroad with the aid of flight tickets procured from travel agents.

She recounted recent experiences involving stranded Nigerians abroad, including cases in Cairo where victims of trafficking were abandoned and left seeking assistance from Nigerian missions.

Dabiri-Erewa also challenged travel agents to identify and report suspicious travel patterns, stressing that the sale of tickets should not be detached from ethical responsibility.

“In Cairo, we have cases where the embassy is almost like a refugee camp. Two stranded women want to return home, and the question is, how did they get there? Some agents issued tickets for them.

“When you see a young girl, barely 16, looking confused and travelling alone to North America, what questions do you ask? When you see groups of teenagers without proper guidance, what do you do?” she queried.

She further cited an incident at a Nigerian airport where about 15 young girls, suspected to be trafficking victims, boarded a flight despite efforts to stop them.

“I was told about 15 young girls at the airport. They had tickets, but you could clearly see they were victims of trafficking. We tried to stop them, but they boarded before any intervention could be made,” she said.

The NiDCOM boss warned that failure to address such lapses could damage the reputation of legitimate travel operators, urging members of NANTA to take proactive steps in identifying rogue agents.

“Who are these agents? Who issued these tickets? When you identify them, report them. Do not allow them to destroy your reputation,” she stressed.

Dabiri-Erewa also shared a tragic case in the Middle East, where a Nigerian woman allegedly trafficked to Iraq died under unclear circumstances, with her remains returned in a body bag.

She appealed to travel agents to embrace ethical recruitment practices, insisting that their role goes beyond ticket sales to safeguarding lives.

“In Iraq alone, we have disturbing cases. A woman who travelled to work as a caregiver ended up dead. Her body was brought back. She got there through an agent. These are the realities we must confront.

“Your job is not just to sell tickets. You must ask questions, verify details, and take responsibility. By doing so, you could save lives,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

She also urged collaboration between the Commission and travel agencies in tackling trafficking, proposing data sharing and stronger reporting mechanisms.

“We must work together on anti-trafficking. When you notice red flags, flag them. Report suspicious cases. It is a collective responsibility,” she added.

Beyond trafficking concerns, Dabiri-Erewa encouraged travel agents to see themselves as ambassadors of Nigeria’s image globally, promoting tourism and countering negative narratives about the country.

“You are global ambassadors of Nigeria. You can protect the brand Nigeria. We are hard-working, brilliant people, and we must project that positively to the world. Through collaboration, we can grow tourism, share data, and strengthen Nigeria’s presence in global travel bodies. There is so much we can achieve together.

“Let us work together to build this country. There are challenges, but nobody will build Nigeria except Nigerians. Together, we can overcome,” she said.

Meanwhile, earlier during the event, the re-elected president of NANTA, Yinka Folami, echoed the association’s resolve to put out quackery entirely.

He said this was the reason for the introduction of the NANTA institute, a platform to learn the nitty-gritty of travel agencies.

He said, “We would stamp out quackery. I have always told people that the negative media reports about travel agents are not our true representation but the handy work of quacks in the system. This is the reason we are inaugurating the NANTA institute and we are sure that this will gradually see the end of quackery in the downstream part of aviation.”

The Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector, noting that sustainable development cannot rely solely on public funding.

She said the administration is deliberately pursuing partnerships that will outlive its tenure and ensure continuity in key sectors, particularly tourism and culture.

She also expressed readiness to deepen engagement with industry stakeholders, especially in driving policies that will expand opportunities, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s soft power globally.

The minister further commended the leadership of NANTA for its vision to reposition the association after decades of existence, particularly through its focus on professionalism and human capacity development. She noted that ongoing efforts to establish a world-class training institute align with the government’s broader agenda to diversify the economy beyond oil and grow the creative and tourism industries.

“Government needs private sector contributions and cannot always subsidise development efforts. The President has been very committed to ensuring that everything we do is done in partnership with the private sector because he is looking at long-term sustainability. As a government, we will always provide support, but collaboration is key.

She said, “I am happy to invite you for further discussions beyond what we have had, particularly on policy-driven, stakeholder-led support that will expand opportunities for Nigeria and create jobs in the travel and tourism sector. We cannot continue to rely on oil; the creative and tourism industries offer real opportunities to showcase our culture and attract the global community.”