Human trafficking is a significant social issue with global resonance, and its prevalence in Nigeria has been situated within the context of the unrelenting migration propensity of young people. While there is ample evidence of different responses to the menace by different relevant stakeholders, there appears to be no end in sight for the scourge. This study argued that relentless innovative social marketing campaigns portend an effective option for achieving much higher degree of success in Nigeria. To test this argument, the study leveraged the Theory of Planned Behaviour to underpin its core objectives, employing the interpretivism research philosophy while adopting a phenomenological research strategy. It gathered primary data through in-depth interviews and Key Informant Interviews in Lagos and Edo States, Nigeria, with a sample of forty (40) relevant persons who were purposively selected for the study. The qualitative data generated were analysed through content analysis. The study established that social marketing campaigns against irregular migration and human trafficking are prevalent across Nigeria, and are primarily targeted at young people, potential migrants, and vulnerable populations. The study also revealed that the depth and reach of these campaigns are particularly incoherent, often encumbered by different factors, and that while some initiatives employ persistent messaging, many lack the sustained engagement required to create lasting behavioural change among the target audience of the campaigns’ messages. The study offered viable recommendations to the government and relevant policymakers.
Bamidele Alabi (Tue,) studied this question.