The Growing Cases of Baby Factory Trafficking Network in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Quantitative Statistical Evidence of Institutional Failure

Baby factories represent a disturbing form of organized child trafficking in Lagos State, Nigeria. These illegal networks exploit vulnerable women by forcing them into pregnancy, facilitating illegal adoptions, and selling newborn infants for profit. Despite existing laws, police, child protection agencies, and anti-trafficking bodies like NAPTIP, these baby factories continue to thrive. This study investigates how government institutional failures have enabled the growth of baby factories. Using a quantitative approach, researchers analyzed secondary data from police reports, NAPTIP records, court documents, NGO reports, media coverage, and Lagos State rehabilitation centers spanning 2020 to the first half of 2026. Data was examined through descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results reveal a strong relationship between weak institutional responses and the persistence of baby factories. Key contributing factors include corruption, poor prosecution of offenders, significant gap in social welfare services of victim supported with rehabilitation and reintegration services rendered by the Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development, and weak inter-agency coordination. The study recommends policymakers to strengthen NAPTIP, establish specialized anti-trafficking courts for faster justice, intensify anti-corruption measures, improve inter-agency collaboration, and enforce stricter oversight of maternity homes, orphanages, and adoption centers.