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From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Next2None Support Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, have commenced moves to engage major global luxury fashion houses, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace and Hugo Boss, in a groundbreaking international campaign against human trafficking.
The initiative, tagged “Threads of Resilience: Fashion for Freedom,” is designed to unite global fashion, international cinema and elite sports in a major social-impact movement aimed at preventing human trafficking, empowering vulnerable youths and restoring dignity to survivors.
Director-General of Next2None Support Initiative, Mr Ndukwe Sam Obu, disclosed this in a statement, describing the initiative as Africa’s first international fashion-for-social-impact mega campaign against human trafficking. The development followed the formal signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NAPTIP and Next2None Support Initiative on August 27, 2026.
The MoU was signed on behalf of NAPTIP by its Director-General, Binta Lami Adamu Bello, and the Director of its Legal and Prosecution Department, Mrs Ijeoma Amugo, while the Director-General of Next2None Support Initiative, Mr Sam Obu, popularly known as Chucky, and Mr Frank Nwala signed for the NGO.
According to Obu, the initiative will run for eight years, from 2026 to 2034, with an initial target of reaching 6,000 youths annually across Nigeria. He said the programme would progressively train about 1,000 participants in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones, with activities running throughout the year and culminating in an annual flagship Global Fashion for Freedom event in Abuja.
The global launch of the initiative is scheduled for the second quarter of 2027.
Obu said the changing nature of human trafficking had made it imperative for stakeholders to adopt innovative approaches to prevention and rehabilitation.
According to him, traffickers now increasingly exploit digital platforms, using social media, deceptive employment advertisements, fraudulent migration schemes and online relationships to lure and trap 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 statement said the comprehensive programme would be anchored on three transformative pillars, beginning with Prevention — Stopping the Cycle.
Under the pillar, the organisers will use cultural platforms and touchpoints that young people engage with daily, including fashion campaigns, school programmes, digital advocacy and community outreach, to expose trafficking risks and promote online safety.
The programme will also provide physical and digital training in vocational areas such as fashion design, textile production, leather-making and garment care, while incorporating modern digital and enterprise skills, including e-commerce, financial literacy and branding.
The organisers said the objective was to equip young people with sustainable livelihood opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.
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Another component of the programme will focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficking survivors, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees.
According to the statement, the initiative will establish confidential and respectful reintegration systems incorporating vocational rehabilitation, mentorship, as well as mental health and psychosocial support.
To strengthen its international dimension, the Threads of Resilience campaign is seeking partnerships with global fashion icons, institutions and industry leaders.
The organisers said fashion would be deployed as a vehicle for human rights advocacy, with emerging designers and trafficking survivors expected to showcase collections carrying messages of healing, resilience and freedom.
As part of the initiative, Next2None and NAPTIP are seeking active engagements and collaborations with leading global luxury fashion brands, including Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace and Hugo Boss.
The campaign will also leverage the Nigerian film industry and international cinema to deepen public awareness.
In partnership with Nollywood and international filmmakers, the project plans to produce anti-trafficking movies, documentaries and awareness skits, while also providing practical film-production training for young people.
The organisers also intend to harness grassroots sports as a tool for youth engagement and empowerment.
The statement said the campaign would build on existing talent-hunt frameworks while pursuing strategic partnerships with global sporting organisations, 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 targeted at vulnerable youths.
Under the terms of the MoU, NAPTIP is expected to provide governmental leadership and technical expertise, including facilitating collaboration with relevant Nigerian government institutions and United Nations agencies.
The project, driven by Next2None Support Initiative’s implementation experience, also has a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework designed to track key outcomes, including employment rates, survivor rehabilitation and funds mobilised.
As the implementation roadmap moves into the next phase, the organisation said it was stepping up diplomatic outreach and stakeholder mobilisation to secure international and local support for the campaign.
The Media Office of Next2None Support Initiative therefore called on corporate organisations, international development agencies, grant-making institutions, foundations, philanthropists, brand ambassadors, volunteers and foreign missions to support the initiative.
“We invite corporate organisations, 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.
