US report: Nigerians identified as the most trafficked victims in Ghana

Nigerians accounted for the largest group of foreign human trafficking victims identified in Ghana in 2025, with 896 people recorded, according to the 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report by the United States Department of State.

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According to the report, Ghanaian authorities identified a total of 2,331 human trafficking victims during the year, including 1,469 foreign nationals and 862 Ghanaians.

Other foreign victims came from Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Togo, Senegal, Niger and Benin.

The report indicated that traffickers recruit Nigerian women and girls to Ghana with false promises of employment before forcing some into commercial sex to repay inflated debts for transportation and accommodation.

It involves deceiving victims about the jobs they will perform and using money they allegedly owe to keep them under the control of their recruiters.

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The report also identified fraudulent recruitment and forced labour linked to online scam operations.

Of the 2,331 victims identified in 2025, 1,302 were victims of forced labour, 492 were linked to sex trafficking, while 537 were recorded under unspecified forms of trafficking.

The report said all identified victims were referred to support services, including shelter, healthcare, counselling, legal assistance and repatriation support.

Ghanaian authorities also identified 567 Ghanaian trafficking victims abroad and funded their voluntary return to the country.

The government additionally screened 2,837 migrants returning from abroad for signs of human trafficking and referred identified victims for assistance. 

The US report upgraded Ghana from Tier 2 to Tier 1, the highest category in its human trafficking assessment. The upgrade recognised the government's efforts to prosecute suspected traffickers, identify victims, improve public awareness and cooperate with foreign governments on investigations.

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Authorities investigated 222 trafficking cases in 2025, prosecuted 212 alleged traffickers and secured 28 convictions. The Tier 1 ranking means Ghana meets the minimum standards established under US law to combat human trafficking.

The report's findings point to the need for continued efforts to protect victims, tackle fraudulent recruitment and bring traffickers to justice.