Canada, NAPTIP Unveil New Project to Stem Human Trafficking, Irregular Migrations

Alex Enumah in Abuja

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.

While revealing that the agency “already have 17 convictions for 2023 and, cumulatively, the agency has secured 592 convictions since its first conviction in 2004”, the DG observed said: “What these trends show is the enormity of what we face as a people and as a country, which is why this project is specifically designed to progressively tackle human trafficking.”

The new project which, according to her, would be impactful include: re-designing and re-developing the NAPTIP iReportermobile App, a tool for reporting cases of human trafficking, child labour and violence against persons crimes.

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.