The Nigerian Government is collaborating with the government of Canada to scale up efforts at tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
According to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) both countries, through the technical partner, Ark Group, will support projects to consolidate on the past achievements of the agency, with intended projects being re-designing and re-development of the NAPTIP iReporter mobile App; community-based sensitization campaigns; capacity building for NAPTIP officials and deployment of a NAPTIP Learning Hub
The Director General of NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri-Azi, said the project will back the ongoing NAPTIP On the Move weekly television and radio programmes to facilitate awareness creation on issues bordering on human trafficking, migrant smuggling and irregular migration, especially amongst young people living in rural areas and urban poor communities
Waziri-Azi said NAPTIP received 1,440 reported cases of trafficking in persons in 2022 out of which 412 were external trafficking cases (28.6%) and 1,028 internal trafficking cases (71.4%).
She remarked that 2,743 victims were liberated in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies; male children were 233 (8.5%), female children were 688 (25.1%), male adults were 363 (13.2%) and female adults were 1,459 (53.2%)
She said: “Victims of inward trafficking were 45, that is victims trafficked into Nigeria; returned victims from abroad were 251 and intercepted victims were 1,484, that is, those who were on their way out of Nigeria.
“Most of these victims are trafficked by road through our borders all across the country. We also secured 80 convictions in 2022; 45 males and 35 females.”
While talking further, Waziri-Azi revealed there are 17 convictions for 2023 and cumulatively, NAPTIP has secured 592 convictions since its first conviction in 2004. She added that 262 cases are in different courts across the country.
She said in a bid to be at par with the evolving trend of human trafficking, the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015 is currently being amended at the National Assembly to incorporate current trends in human trafficking (orphanage trafficking, use of children in brothels) and provide for stiffer penalties.
The representative of the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria, James Christoff, stated Canada’s commitment to partnering with NAPTIP to fight human trafficking and migration by providing funding, training, capacity building and strategic communication.
Christoff said: “We can only win this fight through collaboration.”
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