NAPTIP, UNODC collaborate on awareness campaign against human trafficking, smuggling of migrants

NAPTIP boss, BeatricJedy-Agba

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons(NAPTIP) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime(UNODC), recently had a workshop, tagged: ‘Promoting better management of migration in Nigeria by combating and reducing irregular migration that occurs, inter alia, through trafficking in persons(TIP) and smuggling of migrants(SOM).

The one day workshop, which was held at the airport hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State, had in attendance law enforcement agencies, including officials of the civil defence corps. Members of the national youth service corps and secondary school students were also in attendance.

The workshop is an awareness raising plan for Eu funded project.

The opening remark was by UNODC representative in Nigeria, Ms. Mariam Sissoko, presented by Aminat Tope Abdurrahman, the national project officer, UNODC.

She said: “UNODC in partnership with NAPTIP is implementing a four years project, funded by the European Union under the 10^th European Development Fund to the tune of 4.8 million euro. The project is focused on promoting better management  of migration, and will be implemented in six states; Edo, Lagos, Benue, Cross river, Niger, Anambra and the federal capital territory. The overall objective is to strengthen the national capacity to better combat TIP and SOM in order to maximize the development potential of migration. This will be achieved through the creation of a coordinated, synergized and comprehensive response at the national, state and local level that targets both TIP and SOM.”

She further explained that the main objective of the workshop was to sensitise and educate participants in the workshop, who happened to be the major stakeholders, about the issue of human trafficking and the efforts that both UNDOC and NAPTIP were making under the above mentioned project.

“Particularly under the awareness raising component of the project, a nationwide campaign, with the slogan ‘I Am Priceless,’ will be jointly launched in Abuja. The campaign seeks to increase knowledge on the realities of TIP and SOM for the general public, particularly the most vulnerable and disenfranchised members of society. To influence law and policy makers at various levels towards positive legislation of appropriate policies and legal frameworks to stop TIP and SOM.”

Aminat Tope Abdulrahman presenting a paper on, ‘the relationship between trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrant,’ said that many victims of trafficking in persons initially consent to be smuggled from one country to another.

She added: “This causes some overlap between the phenomena and definitions of trafficking and smuggling that may be confusing. Smuggling and trafficking both involve moving hymen beings for profit, but in smuggling, the relationship between migrants and offenders (the smuggler) usually ends upon arrival in the destination country. The smuggler (unlike the trafficker) benefits from the criminals profits derived during the process of smuggling the migrant alone. In cases of trafficking, some subsequent exploitation for profit, such as coerced or sexual exploitation is also involved.”