Centre expresses concern over rising cases of trafficking in school-age children

Participants at the workshop…on Friday in Asaba.

Traffickers

By Clara Egbogota

Asaba, Oct. 4, 2024 (NAN) The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) has expressed concern over the rising cases of trafficking in school-age children in Nigeria.

Mrs Mojisola Sodeinde, centre’s Head, West African Region, said this on Friday in Asaba, during a two-day advocacy workshop in collaboration with the National Agency For The Prohibition Of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Centre is an inter-governmental organisation with headquarters in Vienna, Austria, with over 20 member states.

The centre is implementing the: School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project to address the escalating issue of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Sodeinde, who was represented by Ms Rhoda Dia-Johnson, Project Manager, School Anti-trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), said there was need for a unified front to fight the menace of towards human trafficking.

“The escalating issue of human trafficking in Nigeria, particularly targeting school-age children and young adults calls for concern.

“This plight has long cast a shadow over our communities, particularly affecting our most vulnerable, our children.

“With over 75 per cent of trafficking victims in West Africa being minors, we must ensure that the school’s Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project is successful.

“Our collective goal in STEAP is to embed a robust educational framework within our schools that informs and protects our students and empowers them to be vigilant guardians of their futures,” she said.

According to her, our activities over the next two days will include in-depth discussions on the issues of trafficking in persons, especially trafficking of school-age children.

“Let us remember that the essence of our work is to safeguard our future, a future where every child can pursue education without fear and every community can thrive free from the chains of exploitation,” she said.

Mrs Binta Adamu Bello, Director General NAPTIP, said that the sensitization was part of the activities of NAPTIP to deepen its preventive aspect on the fight against human trafficking.

Bello, who was represented by Mr Josiah Emerole, Director of Intelligence in charge of Research and Program Development, NAPTIP, said everybody must come together to nip the menace in the bud.

“Over the years, we have been able to infuse trafficking in persons issues into the curriculum of basic and senior secondary schools in Nigeria and into the minimum standards of colleges of education.

“The idea is to catch the students young so they can be able to understand the issues of trafficking right from school so that they can be less vulnerable to human trafficking.

“Human traffickers are on the prowl looking for whom to traffick, because nobody is immune to being trafficked, but we are trying to warn school aged children.

Mr Sib Siebesma, First Secretary, Embassy of Netherlands, in his goodwill message, said the prevention of and the fight against human trafficking was a topic in this partnership that the Netherlands gives a very high priority.

“Children in particular are vulnerable to trafficking as they account for more than 75 per cent of the victims identified in West Africa.

“This underscores the importance of taking a specific approach to prevent children from falling victim and helping victims reintegrate in the school system.

“Education is a major tool in combatting human trafficking since it increases opportunities for stable employment which in turn reduces vulnerability to human trafficking.

“Schools are one of the places where children spend most of their time other than their homes, so schools need to be a place of stability for students, especially the vulnerable ones,” he said.

Prof. Musa Maitafsir, Executive Director, National Teachers Institute, (NTI), said the sensitisation was apt and timely coming at a time like this.

“I will tag it ‘Save our Souls’. It is very disheartening that human beings are being used as merchandise for fellow human beings, especially children.

“Trafficking in humans leads to physical and emotional harm, violence, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, prostitution, psychological trauma, human rights violations, slavery, among others.

“The sensitisation is very timely because many of our young adults in schools are cohersed into this menace, more needs to be done to address the root causes,” he said.(NAN)(nannews.com.ng)

ECO/JI

Edited by Joe Idika