NAPTIP seeks private sector collaboration to tackle child labour

Plans regional training academy

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, has said there was the need for active collaboration between government and the private sector to tackle child labour and human trafficking.

This comes as plans are underway by the agency to establish a regional training academy for the teaching and learning of counter trafficking related issues.

The NAPTIP boss, who stated this when she paid advocacy visit to Dr. Idahosa Okunbo in Abuja, lauded Okunbo for the philanthropic work he has been doing, as well as his efforts at reducing youth unemployment through his various business investments in the country.

She submitted that there is urgent need to involve the organised private sector and well-meaning Nigerians in the fight against human trafficking, saying, ‘the fight against trafficking in persons involves the whole of society and government.”

The NAPTIP boss expressed optimism that with the support of government at all levels and the organised private sector, NAPTIP will be effectively equipped to combat human trafficking.

On his part, Okunbo described human trafficking as an evil and ungodly act that dehumanises an individual and negatively impacts on a nation.

Captain Okunbo further decried the high rate of human trafficking in his home state, Edo, which he described as saddening and promised to be a worthy anti-trafficking ambassador.

He lamented the lack of adequate support, which the agency was presently facing and called on the Federal Government, institutions and well-meaning Nigerians to rally round NAPTIP to ensure that human trafficking was effectively stamped out of the country.

While inaugurating a 27-member Steering Committee for the establishment of the academy in Abuja, Okah-Donli stated that the need to close the existing knowledge gaps among law enforcement agencies in the country and those within the West African region on the fight against human trafficking informed the establishment of the academy.

Her words: “The Steering Committee is to see to the successful establishment of a standard Regional Training Academy that will offer solution to all institutional needs and satisfy the requirements around the spheres of Human Trafficking and other related matters, towards effective continuous capacity building of NAPTIP Personnel and other relevant stakeholders within the country and the West African region, as well as meeting the needs of National and International Researchers in the field of Human Trafficking.”

She explained that the Agency being the first of its kind in the world with a huge mandate of preventing the human trafficking crimes, prosecuting offenders, protecting and assisting rescued victims as well as partnering with all stakeholders to curb the menace has over the years provided a learning ground for various stakeholders within and outside the country.

“Many of our partners from the West African region have over the years relied on us to provide training on how best to fight the scourge bearing in mind our many years of experience in the fight against human trafficking,” she said.