Nigeria Has Largest Number Of Enslaved People In Sub-Saharan Africa — Report | PremiumTimes

Children-in-forced-labour

Nigeria has more enslaved people than any country in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Global Slavery Index 2016, released on Tuesday, has revealed.

The survey, conducted in 167 countries across the world by anti-modern slavery organisation, Walk Free Foundation, revealed that there are 875,500 people living in slavery in Nigeria.

The survey said of the 45.8 million people living in slavery in the world, 13.6 percent (6,228,800) are in Africa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (873,100 people) and Ethiopia (411,600 people) have the second and third largest numbers of people living in slavery sub-Saharan Africa respectively.

According to the survey, slavery in Nigeria takes the form of forced labour in the domestic sector. Forced marriages also account for the second highest form of slavery in the country, the report revealed.

The report revealed that conflict, economic crisis and environmental disaster are the major enablers of modern slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For instance, the survey showed that the Boko Haram conflict in the country’s north east led to an increase of people living in slavery in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries like Chad and Cameroon.

The Islamist group has kidnapped thousands of people in the north east region most of them women and children who they use as sex slaves and put to forced labour.

“Modern slavery in the Sub-Sahara was enabled by economic conditions, violent conflict and territorial displacement, in addition to widespread humanitarian and environmental crises,” the report said.

“The escalation of violence in Nigeria following the Boko Haram conflict has had widespread effects on Nigeria and across the region, particularly in Cameroon where refugees fleeing conflict have sparked a humanitarian crisis.

“As of February 2016, 2.5 million people were displaced as a result of the conflict and 20,000 people have been killed. Conflict is also prevalent in Chad and Cameroon, where Boko Haram is also active in creating violent conflicts, and in recruiting young entrepreneurs through predatory loans.”

The report, which has been described as the most accurate up-to-date analysis of slavery in history, was arrived at after 42,000 interviews conducted in 53 languages, covering 44% of global population.

It revealed that there are 28 percent (10 million) more people in slavery across the world than previously estimated. Modern slavery, it noted, takes the form of human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage or commercial sexual exploitation.

Globally, North Korea is the country with the “greatest prevalence of modern slavery, with 4.37% of its population estimated to be enslaved. It is also the country with the weakest government response in terms of actions taken to combat modern slavery,” the report showed.

In terms of absolute numbers, the report discovered that India has the highest with an estimated 18.35 million enslaved people, followed by China (3.39m), Pakistan (2.13m), Bangladesh (1.53m) and Uzbekistan (1.23m).

Combined, these five countries account for almost 58% of the world’s enslaved, or 26.6 million people.

Government response

Walk Free Foundation described the response of governments in Sub-Sahara Africa to modern slavery in their domains as “inadequate”. It said that reports on actions taken by governments to combat modern slavery do not exist.

“Government responses to modern slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa were characterised by inadequate victim protection and a lack of coordination between government agencies and NGO bodies.

“Reliable data on the steps taken by the government to combat modern slavery was unavailable.

“Despite 33 of the 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa running campaigns against known modern slavery risks since 2010, few have raised awareness on methods to identify victims.

“The only country to make this an annual practice was Burundi, whose Children and Ethics Brigade ran anti-trafficking awareness programmes from at least 2011 to 2014. While 28 countries provided a mechanism to report modern slavery, less than half covered all demographics and even fewer had evidence of translation services. Comprehensive reporting mechanisms were only provided in South Africa and Lesotho.”

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1 Comment

  1. Slavery, please what is that in a country based on democracy, I don’t think you speak of slavery terrorists can if dirty
    State looting buildings destroying innocent of murder and a State must be built from scratch.
    I don’t think you are properly informed about the conditions of Africa and
    Nigeria claims of Baifra terrorists or other
    Associations of the crime is but just one turn on the
    Despair, the rich and the poor the shoulder-to-shoulder in Nigeria
    Arrange the women for the children the men of democracy the
    Population of Africa of the continent in peace and freedom without the
    Predation by other States or States communities.
    Africa has trade relations with England to some other States
    Europe, like France, and so on China, Russia, the United States, etc.
    What do terrorists is that not make and looting or
    Can destroy. Africa has subsidies for the education of health
    and the agricultural policy introduced to the people of Africa for life after war without terrorists, murderers and criminals.
    Solar energy in the streets lanterns area and the expansion of
    Water pipes, to the oil comes the sector and its cables are
    None in Africa any terrorist criminals destroy leaves no matter from which terrorist country and no matter which terror country its
    Terrorism is fought.
    The Nations of the world agreed what was the fight of against terrorism of crime and will be no democracy in the world to have that one brought to see how these countries in a democracy of life
    Exploitation and slavery funding in Europe.

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