The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party at the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, says high level of poverty and lack of access to basic education are some of the reasons behind increase in human trafficking in Nigeria.

Mr Obi took to his Twitter page on Sunday to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons while addressing the root causes of human trafficking in the country.

“As we mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we remember our countrymen and women who, against their will, have been compelled to live without human dignity and work under exploitative conditions in different countries.

“Undoubtedly, it is the high level of poverty, lack of access to basic education, high unemployment rate, and worsening living conditions in our country that are the main factors fuelling human trafficking in Nigeria,” Mr Obi said.

Mr Obi, quoting available statistics on human trafficking in the country, said only practical solutions that can be adapted to curb the menace of human trafficking in the nation.

“ According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index Report, with 1.6 million trafficked persons, Nigeria ranks 38 out of the countries with the highest number of slaves in the world. This is a worrisome and embarrassing situation that needs to be urgently addressed,” Mr Obi said.

Mr Obi explained that by investing in the three most critical areas of human development – education, health, and poverty eradication – Nigeria could stamp out the societal ill of human trafficking.

He also restated his commitment to a new nation in which the pride and dignity of Nigerian citizens are restored in a land of opportunities.

The former Anambra governor is currently in court challenging the results of the February 25th general elections, which he lost to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).