Beyond the Pyramid: A Thematic Analysis of QNET-Linked Labor Trafficking in the ECOWAS Region

Human trafficking activities in West Africa increasingly operate through recruitment structures that resemble direct selling, entrepreneurship, or migration facilitation. This article examines public accounts associated with QNET in the Economic Community of West African States region through a structured thematic synthesis. Analysis was guided by the Palermo Protocol, International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of forced labor, and the concept of forced criminality. Three themes structure the analysis: deceptive opportunity narratives and payments; restrictions on autonomy; and the recruitment of people already experiencing exploitation. The evidence supports examining trafficking indicators in these reported circumstances but does not establish regional prevalence, corporate responsibility, or a consolidated QNET trafficking typology. Institutional accounts and mediated participant narratives also raise uncertainties about coercion and agency. Practitioners should assess individuals privately for signs of control and compelled conduct, arrange appropriate referrals, and consider applicable protections against punishment for trafficking-related offending.