ActionAid Nigeria Calls on Government, INTERPOL and the African Union to Investigate Russia's Alabuga Start Programme

ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Nigerian federal government and a range of international institutions to investigate the recruitment of young Nigerian women under Russia's Alabuga Start programme, following reports that participants were deceived with promises of education, professional training and well-paid jobs before being deployed in drone production facilities.

The statement was signed by ActionAid Country Director Andrew Mamedu.

The Allegations

The organisation expressed concern that recruits were allegedly subjected to unsafe working conditions and involved in the production of military drones after arriving in Russia - outcomes at odds with the educational and career framing used during recruitment.

ActionAid also highlighted reports linking Konstantin Trifonov, a senior recruiter associated with Alabuga Start who was sanctioned by the UK government in May 2026, to Telegram channels allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material. The organisation said that while the allegations require independent investigation, "they are serious enough to warrant urgent action by Nigerian and international authorities." It described any involvement in the production, possession, distribution or promotion of child sexual abuse material as "a grave violation of children's rights" that should result in legal accountability.

What ActionAid Has Seen

Through its RECONNECT Project - which supports returning migrants, trafficking survivors, vulnerable women, internally displaced persons and survivors of domestic violence - ActionAid said it has directly observed the consequences of deceptive foreign recruitment. Many beneficiaries return home traumatised, indebted and stigmatised, facing physical, psychological, social and economic harm.

Mamedu stressed that victims should not be blamed for falling prey to deceptive recruiters, and that those responsible must be investigated and prosecuted.

He placed the recruitment in the context of Nigeria's "Japa" trend - the mass departure of young Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad - noting that while migration is a legitimate choice, worsening economic conditions, unemployment, insecurity and weak regulation of foreign recruitment agencies have significantly increased vulnerability. World Bank estimates cited by ActionAid show that 63 per cent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line in 2025, after an additional seven million people fell into poverty during the year.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) assisted 14,787 Nigerians to return home safely in 2025 and a further 7,825 by June 2026. Since 2017, more than 65,700 Nigerians have returned safely through IOM programmes, with over 52,200 receiving reintegration support.

Who ActionAid Is Calling On

At the national level, ActionAid urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, NAPTIP (the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) and NiDCOM (the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission) to investigate recruitment activities linked to Alabuga Start in Nigeria, identify Nigerians currently in the programme, assess their welfare and provide consular assistance, legal support, psychosocial care and voluntary repatriation where needed.

The organisation also called for stricter regulation of foreign employment schemes, recruitment agencies, travel facilitators and online advertisements targeting young Nigerians.

At the international level, ActionAid appealed to the ECOWAS Commission, African Union, European Union, INTERPOL, UNODC (the UN Office on Drugs and Crime), Russian authorities and other relevant institutions to support an independent investigation into Alabuga Start's recruitment practices and the allegations involving Trifonov - with a focus on protecting potential victims, preserving evidence and ensuring legal accountability for any individuals or organisations found culpable.

Source: The Guardian Nigeria