Perception of media strategies used in human trafficking campaigns in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract Human trafficking is a modern day slavery that has become a widespread recurring decimal with a threatening global dimension. Nigeria is one of the leading African countries in human trafficking. Campaign strategies used by government to curb this menace has not yielded the needed result. This study assessed the perception of media strategies used in human trafficking campaigns in Ebonyi state. The population of the study is Ebonyi Central Senatorial District (ECSD). The study answered the following research questions: What are the media strategies used by NAPTIP in their campaign against human trafficking in ECSD? Are the people of ECSD aware of the activities of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)? What is the perception rate of people on the media strategies used by NAPTIP in ECSD? What are the reasons people allow themselves to be trafficked? The study used attitude change theory and economic theory of crime. Survey method was adopted and respondents selected using random and purposive sampling techniques. Data collected was analyzed in percentage. Findings reveal that the media strategies used by NAPTIP in their campaign against human trafficking in ECSD were not effective. The study concludes that NAPTIP should use media that are rural dwellers driven in their campaign in rural areas. Key Words: Human Trafficking, Media Strategies, Campaign Strategies, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). * Michael Nwali Eze is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. © AMCRON Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 11, No. 1, April 2019, pp. 130 – 143