NAPTIP and FCC Urge Action Against Harmful Social Norms

At the 2026 Social Norms Conference, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Federal Character Commission (FCC) urged immediate action to dismantle harmful social norms that lead to abuse and discrimination. The Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Lami Adamu Bello, represented by Mrs Rebecca Enwusoyele, emphasized that laws alone cannot eradicate abuse if societal attitudes remain unchanged.

She illustrated the issue with two scenarios: a 64-year-old grandmother in northern Nigeria who paid a blackmailer due to community victim-blaming, and a 19-year-old awaiting trial who was denied sanitary pads after refusing further demands from an officer. Bello stated that these incidents show how harmful norms can undermine legal protections and expose vulnerable individuals to exploitation.

She called for a balance between preserving positive cultural values and confronting practices that violate human dignity, noting that urbanization and technological changes present both challenges and opportunities for development.