ActionAid Nigeria, one of the leading organizations advocating for social justice in Nigeria has called for immediate actions to be taken by the relevant authorities concerning the reports that young African women including Nigerians, may have been deceptively recruited through the Alabuga Start Programme in Russia.
The Russian programme which reportedly lured young African women with promises of education, professional training and well-paid employment in Russia, only to face alleged exploitation, unsafe working conditions and involvement in military drone production has consistently recruited young African girls in the last four years.
According to a Press Statements signed and released by the Actionaid Nigeria’s Country Director, Andrew Mamedu:
“We are equally alarmed by reports linking Konstantin Trifonov, a senior recruiter associated with the programme, to Telegram channels allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material.
“While these allegations must be independently and thoroughly investigated, their seriousness demands urgent attention from Nigerian and international authorities. Any involvement in producing, possessing, distributing or promoting child sexual abuse material is a grave violation of children’s rights and must be met with accountability under the law.
Through the Reintegration and Empowerment for Connecting and Nurturing Opportunities of Vulnerable Populations and Returning Migrants, RECONNECT Project, ActionAid Nigeria has worked with returning migrants, including survivors of trafficking and unsafe migration, vulnerable women, internally displaced persons and survivors of domestic violence.
“Their lived experiences reveal the physical, psychological, social and economic consequences of deceptive recruitment and exploitation. Many return with trauma, debt and stigma, often without sustainable livelihoods or adequate access to healthcare, psychosocial support and justice.The scale of the challenge is significant.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, 14,787 Nigerians returned home safely through its programmes in 2025, with another 7,825 assisted by June 2026.
Since 2017, more than 65,700 Nigerians have returned safely, while over 52,200 have received reintegration assistance.
“Poverty, unemployment and limited economic opportunities create conditions in which deceptive recruiters can prey upon the hopes of young Nigerians seeking a better future. The responsibility must never be placed on victims. Those who deceive, traffic or exploit vulnerable people must be investigated and held accountable,” said Dr Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria.
The Press Statement further stressed that the reported Alabuga recruitment must also be understood within Nigeria’s wider “Japa” phenomenon, the growing desire, particularly among young people, to seek security, dignity and opportunity abroad. Migration is a legitimate choice and should not be criminalised or stigmatised.
However, when economic hardship, unemployment and insecurity combine with weak oversight of foreign recruitment, people can become more vulnerable to fraudulent offers, trafficking and exploitation.
The Nigerian Government must also confront the economic conditions that expose citizens to deceptive recruitment.
The World Bank estimates that 63% of Nigerians lived below the national poverty line in 2025, after an additional seven million people fell into poverty during the year.
Creating decent jobs, sustainable livelihoods and stronger social protection, particularly for women, young people, persons with disabilities and displaced populations, is therefore an essential safeguard against trafficking, forced labour and unsafe migration.
“ActionAid Nigeria calls on the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, to urgently:
- Investigate recruitment activities connected to the Alabuga Start Programme in Nigeria and determine whether Nigerian citizens have been deceived, trafficked or exploited.
- Identify Nigerians currently participating in the programme, assess their safety and provide consular assistance, legal support, psychosocial care and voluntary repatriation where necessary.
- Strengthen the regulation and monitoring of foreign employment schemes, recruitment agencies, travel facilitators and online advertisements targeting young Nigerians, while providing clear public information on the risks associated with unverified opportunities.
ActionAid Nigeria further calls on the ECOWAS Commission, African Union, European Union, INTERPOL and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as Russian and other relevant national authorities, to support a coordinated and independent investigation into the reported recruitment practices and alleged child sexual abuse links.
This cooperation should include preserving and sharing relevant digital and recruitment evidence, identifying and protecting potential victims, and pursuing appropriate legal and institutional action against Konstantin Trifonov, the Alabuga Start Programme and any other individuals or entities where credible evidence establishes wrongdoing.
ActionAid Nigeria stands in solidarity with every woman, young person and returning migrant who has experienced trafficking, exploitation or abuse. We call for a survivor-centred response that protects their identities, rejects stigma and guarantees access to justice, recovery and sustainable reintegration.” the statement said.