The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Next2None Support Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch what they described as Africa’s first international fashion-for-social-impact campaign aimed at combating human trafficking.
The initiative, tagged “Threads of Resilience: Fashion for Freedom,” seeks to deploy fashion, film, sports, education and skills development as strategic tools to prevent human trafficking, reduce youth vulnerability, empower young people and restore the dignity of survivors.
The landmark MoU was signed on August 27, 2026, by the director-general of NAPTIP, Binta Lami Adamu Bello; the director, Legal and Prosecution Department, NAPTIP, Mrs Ijeoma Amugo; the director-general of Next2None Support Initiative, Mr Sam Obu, popularly known as Chukky; and Mr Frank Nwala.
The partnership was announced in a statement signed by Obu and Nwala and made available to journalists on Sunday.
According to the statement, the initiative will operate over an eight-year period, from 2026 to 2034, with an initial target of reaching 6,000 young people annually across Nigeria.
It added that the programme would progressively scale up to train about 1,000 participants in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The programme will operate throughout the year and culminate in an annual Global Fashion for Freedom event in Abuja, with the global launch scheduled for the second quarter of 2027.
Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Obu said the architecture of human trafficking had evolved significantly, with traffickers increasingly exploiting digital platforms, social media, deceptive employment advertisements, fraudulent migration schemes and online relationships to prey on vulnerable people.
“Human trafficking is no longer just a law enforcement challenge; it is a crisis of poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunity.
“‘Threads of Resilience’ addresses this by moving beyond mere rescue. We are creating a sustainable, Nigerian-led international movement that uses creativity, sports, and education to establish pathways to absolute freedom and economic dignity,” he said.
The initiative is built around three major pillars: prevention, empowerment and rebuilding.
Under the prevention pillar, the organisers said cultural platforms that resonate with young people, including fashion campaigns, school programmes, digital advocacy and community outreach, would be deployed to raise awareness about trafficking risks, online exploitation and digital safety.
The empowerment component will provide physical and digital skills training in areas such as fashion design, textile production, leather making and garment care, while incorporating modern enterprise skills, including e-commerce, financial literacy and branding.
The organisers said the objective was to equip young people with sustainable livelihoods that could reduce their vulnerability to traffickers and other forms of exploitation.
The third pillar, rebuilding, will focus on restoring the dignity of trafficking survivors, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees through confidential and respectful reintegration programmes.
These interventions will include vocational rehabilitation, mentorship, mental health and psychosocial support.
To give the programme an international dimension, Next2None and NAPTIP said they would seek partnerships with leading global fashion houses, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace and Hugo Boss.
The organisers said emerging Nigerian designers and trafficking survivors would have opportunities to showcase collections bearing messages of healing, resilience and freedom.
The initiative will also involve Nollywood and international filmmakers in the production of anti-trafficking movies, documentaries and awareness skits, while young Nigerians will receive practical training in film production.
The statement further disclosed plans to leverage sports as a grassroots platform for reaching vulnerable young people.
It said strategic partnerships were being pursued with global sporting institutions, including FIFA for football initiatives, the International Handball Federation (IHF) for handball tournaments and the National Basketball Association (NBA) for elite athlete ambassadors and sports clinics.
The organisers said the collaboration with NAPTIP would provide governmental leadership and technical expertise, including facilitating partnerships with relevant Nigerian government institutions and United Nations agencies.
Next2None, on its part, will drive implementation of the programme, backed by what it described as its experience in delivering social-impact interventions.
The initiative has also established a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework to measure its impact, including employment outcomes, survivor rehabilitation, youth participation and funds mobilised.
As preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 global launch, the organisers called on corporate organisations, international development agencies, foundations, philanthropists, brand ambassadors, volunteers and foreign missions to support the initiative.
“We invite corporate organizations, international development grants, foundations, philanthropists, brand ambassadors, volunteers and foreign missions to join hands with us. Together, we can use creativity to educate, skills to empower, and partnerships to rebuild lives,” the statement said.
