A meeting was held recently in Lagos-Nigeria by stakeholders involved in the fight against human trafficking. This is a welcome development considering that different Nigerian security agencies and foreign governments are coming together to find a solution to the problem.
NEWS:
Human trafficking is the third most lucrative business after hard drug and trading in arms and ammunition.
The modern day slavery poses a great threat to the future of the youths and even the economy of any nation, whose youths are trafficked to other countries for forced labour, prostitution or had their vital organs like, kidney, liver removed for transplant purposes, among others.
The social implications of the illegal act is innumerable. Nigeria and Nigerians are victims of human trafficking and child labour and this explains why the Federal Government, in a bid to check the menace, established the National Agency for the Prohibition and Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP).
The agency, with the collaboration of international bodies, have made significant progress in fighting against human trafficking and child labour. But as the government tries to curb the crime the more those behind the business devise new methods of beating the agency, donors and security agencies to it.
But NAPTIP is not relenting in the fight against human trafficking and child labour. Not even staunch supporters of the agency like the United Nations Office on Drugs Crime (UNODC), are ready to back off the fight.
As part the efforts to find solution to the modern day slavery, NAPTIP, UNODC, with the support of the governments of Finland, Switzerland and Norway, organized what it called, town-hall meeting where issues and evils of human trafficking were discussed extensively.
The programme, which took place at Ikeja Airport Hotel on July 18, 2011, was attended by representatives of the Lagos State government and ministries, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, State Security Services (SSS), Federal Road Safety Commission and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Others are, youth corps members, market women/men, Lagos State Motorcycles Association, Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), teachers , students, National Human Right Organisations (NHRO).
The media, among others
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of NAPYIP, Mr. Simon Egede, disclosed that the programme was to create awareness, train and sensitize relevant stakeholders of the Nigerian society on issues bordering on human trafficking.
According to Egede, the town hall meeting and sensitization workshop were a deliberate strategy to sensitize, educate and inform participants about the ills of trafficking in persons and its adverse consequences on the children and women.
“It is also designed to further rub minds on the best ways of collectively addressing these daunting challenges,” he said.
He described trafficking in person, particularly, women and children, for all forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, as one of the worst violation of Human rights and called for its condemnation by all.
He said: “It erodes our quest for sustainable human capital and economic development. Our gathering this morning is a further attestation to our avowed commitments to nip the matter in the bud in the interest of the present and future generation of Nigerians. I, therefore, enjoin all to oncrease and sustain our commitments by ensuring that all hands are put on deck to checkmate this assault on human dignity.”
The executive secretary said that Nigeria retained its Tier 1 status in the United States Government 2011, Annual Global Rating in the fight against trafficking in persons due to the country’s sustained efforts in combating trafficking in persons through compliance with minimum standards for the elimination of the crime.
He commended UNODC, donors and the Embassies of Finland, Norway and Switzerland for supporting the implementation of the project.
Delivering his goodwill message, the representative of UNODC Nigeria Country Office, Mr. Oliver Stolpe, said the international body, which had been in Nigeria for over 20 years, had been partnering with Nigeria in the fight against drugs and crime, including the struggle to end trafficking in the country and the world at large.
Stolpe, who was represented by UNODC’s Coordinator, Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants, Ms. Mumbi Njau, said the collaboration with NAPTIP was directed at ensuring that the youths and young people do not fall prey to traffickers. “… If they do, we have in place, necessary apparatus to catch the traffickers, prosecute them and eventually punish them through jail sentences and/or property seizures, while at the same time, support the victim to return to a normal and fulfilled life, through various support programmes and mechanism,” he said.
He said UNODC was encouraged by the efforts made so far, especially in prosecution and supporting trafficked victims to return to normal life.
“We remain committed to supporting NAPTIP and other actors, especially civil society organisations, as they reinvigorate their activities in combating trafficking in persons,” he said.
He said UNODC looked forward to working in critical areas, like strengthening NAPTIP’s capacity to do more, increasing capacities at the state levels through collaborative efforts and partnership with state governments and civil societies, among others.
He also commended the Lagos State Government for being among the first in UNODC’s awareness-raising activities.
In a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Director of Child Development, Mrs. Alaba Fadairo, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, assured that a communiqué adopted by the participants would serve as working document for the state government in combating the crime.
Participants identified lack of employment opportunities, bad governance, poverty, poor parental upbringing and care, large family size, poor family planning, eroding morals, inadequate awareness at the grassroots, among others, as the causes of human trafficking.
They, therefore, recommended among others, access to education, teaching of morals and cultural values to children and wards, sensitization on birth control, enforcement of ban on street hawking/trading and establishment of guidance and counseling centres at all levels of government.
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