The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) has revealed that over 75 per cent of trafficked victims in West Africa are children, stressing the urgent need for preventive efforts, particularly “within our schools.”

ICMPD Head of Office, Nigeria, Isabelle Wolfsgruber, made this known on Tuesday in Benin at a two-day training of subject teachers on Mainstreamed TIP Content in the revised National Curriculum code, named School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP).

Speaking at the event held in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Edo State Government, the ICMPD Head of Office, Nigeria, said the rising statistics underscore the urgent need to “leverage education as a powerful tool to prevent trafficking.”

In her speech, which was read by Favour Simeon, ICMPD, Wolfsgruber expressed optimism that at the end of the training, the teachers would have been equipped, and by extension, the “larger school community with knowledge about the risks of trafficking, how to recognise warning signs, and strategies to stay safe.”

The Head, Nigeria Office, ICMPD, who disclosed that 150 teachers drawn from 50 schools across the state were captured for the training, added: “That is why we have organised this two-day training workshop for subject teachers from selected schools in Edo State. Through this training, teachers will gain practical skills to apply the curriculum effectively while fostering safe and supportive classrooms that protect children from harm.

“The training aims to equip teachers with a thorough understanding of human trafficking, practical skills to deliver the national approved curriculum effectively, and the capacity to act as child protection advocates, fostering safe, supportive, and collaborative school environments.”

On her part, Director-General NAPTIP, Binta Bello, who said trafficking in persons remains “one of the gravest human rights violations confronting Nigeria today,” emphasised the need for collective effort to “safeguard the future of our children and strengthen the national response to human trafficking through education.”

The DG, who was represented by Hassan Tahri, added: “The statistics are deeply troubling-children account for more than 55 per cent of identified victims.”

In his speech, Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, while lamenting that “Edo State has, in the past, been significantly affected by the devastating consequences of human trafficking,” however, noted that “tremendous progress has been made in recent years, we must continue to consolidate our gains by strengthening education-driven prevention mechanisms.”

Iyamu, while stating that “education remains the most powerful tool for shaping values, informing decision-making, and protecting the next generation from exploitation,” promised that his ministry will continue to “reinforce our state’s preventive strategies and expand the impact of our anti-trafficking interventions in schools.”

“This training is not just another workshop—it is a strategic investment in the human infrastructure that supports our fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP),” he said.