The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria, in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition against Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) has unveiled a new Counter-Trafficking Project to enhance the fight against the menace of human trafficking in the country.
The counter-trafficking project, which is an offshoot of the 2021 project will scale efforts in stemming the tide of trafficking in persons and migrants smuggling, according to the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi.
Unveiling the new project yesterday in Abuja, Professor Waziri-Azi also disclosed that the agency within few weeks in 2023 had already secured 17 convictions.
She attributed some of the successes recorded by the agency to collaborative efforts with partners such as the Canadian High Commission and the United Kingdom-based Ark Group.
“In 2022, NAPTIP received1,440 reported cases of trafficking in persons; 412 external trafficking cases (28.6 per cent) and 1,028 internal trafficking cases(71.4 per cent).
She said 2,743 victims were rescued in collaboration with other sister law enforcement agencies; male children were 233 (8.5 per cent); female children 688 (25.1 per cent); Male adults, 363 (13.2 per cent); and female adults, 1,459 (53.2 per cent).
“Victims of inward trafficking were 45, that is victims trafficked into Nigeria; returned victims from abroad were 251and intercepted victims were1,484, 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,” he said.
The App will provide on time, real time information on cases, location of the reporter and the suspect.
“There will be offline community-based sensitization campaigns in endemic parts of the country and along known trafficking and smuggling routes”, she added.
Besides capacity building for NAPTIP public enlightenment and public relations officers, the project also entails the development and deployment of a NAPTIP learning hub which will provide an opportunity for a central online learning platform as well as support the ongoing NAPTIP On The Move weekly television Programme which currently airs every Friday on NTA,DSTV Channel251.
In his remarks, the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Jamie Christoff, observed that the negative impact of human trafficking is global hence the need for the collaboration.
Christoff assured the people that that his country will continue to support Nigeria both in fighting and preventing the menace of human trafficking as well as irregular migration by providing funds to support initiatives and projects like the instant one.
Source: This Day