The U.S. government has alleged that many North Koreans and Chinese working in Nigeria are engaged in forced labour.

The U.S. Department of State, in its “2026 Trafficking in Persons” report on Nigeria, raised concerns about the possibility of the North Korean and Chinese governments sending their citizens to Nigeria for forced labour.

The report stated, “North Korean nationals working in Nigeria may be operating under exploitative working conditions and display multiple indicators of forced labor. Chinese nationals working in Nigeria may have been forced to work by the Chinese government.”

The People’s Gazette contacted the Chinese Embassy for comment on the report.

“I cannot understand,” said the lady who picked the call.

Also, the spokesperson for NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, told The Gazette that the agency didn’t receive any intelligence on North Koreans and Chinese in forced labour in Nigeria.

Mr Adekoye said, “The agency did not receive any intel concerning the aforementioned nationals within the period under review. NAPTIP shall continue to scale up its surveillance to ascertain the status of other workers and foreign nationals across the country with a view to determining their welfare. The agency affirms its total commitment to the welfare of all residents of the country irrespective of their nationality.”

The NAPTIP spokesperson also highlighted how the agency in combating force labour and trafficking related crimes involved foriegn nationals in Nigeria.

He added, “NAPTIP, as a very responsive agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for countering all issues of human trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, and other related crimes, has continued to discharge its statutory functions effectively. 

“Acting on credible intelligence, the agency had previously rescued nationals of different countries who were trafficked to Nigeria for various forms of exploitation. This includes nationals from Cambodia, Ghana, and even Cameroon, among others. They were accordingly handed over to their embassies in Nigeria.”