Nigeria, UNODC, US commit to renewed partnership at ending human trafficking

Nigeria and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC), as well as the United States among others, have agreed to join forces to overcome the crime of human trafficking and the attendant consequences.

Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Professor Fatima, Waziri-Azi said that human trafficking is the greatest challenge society has encountered hence, the central place of collaboration.
She made the statement at a closing event of a five-day boot camp for State Task Forces on Human Trafficking and Launch of Compendium of Good Practices in commemoration of the World Day Against Human Trafficking organised by NAPTIP in collaboration with the UNODC, Thursday in Abuja.

She said “To effectively address human trafficking, we must create a seamless web of partnership and shared accountability which was why the State Task Force on Human Trafficking was progressively established to serve as a pathway to eliminate this abhorrent crime from our society.
“Human trafficking knows no boundaries, transcending geographical, cultural, and socio-economic divisions. This battle requires a united front, one that encompasses government agencies, civil society organizations, law enforcement entities, faith-based organizations, the media and communities at the federal and state levels.

“I am positive we can all agree that the issue we face today is perhaps one of the greatest challenge society has encountered — human trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery that inflicts unimaginable suffering upon countless individuals around the world.”
Director, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement of the US embassy, Nigeria, Jason Smith, noted that human trafficking is one of the great global plagues facing the 21st century as It is contrary to the very fundamental values and freedoms by the international community.

He said “There are millions of victims of trafficking around the world. It is a problem that transcends borders and nations. How do we address such a problem? Through partnership.
“In the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report from the U.S. Department of State, Secretary Blinken said: ‘Tackling a global problem like trafficking requires a global coalition, one that cuts across government, business, and civil society.

“By sharing resources and information, we can better equip front-line stakeholders to track and respond to evolving trafficking trends.
“By partnering with survivors, we can better establish trauma-informed anti-trafficking policies and strategies. And by leveraging technology, we can better address the nexus between finance and human trafficking and better detect online exploitation.

Speaking on the importance of the state task forces in promoting the fight against human trafficking, First Secretary, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Nigeria, Eva de Wit, said continuous partnership remains key to the success every effort.
“I applaud the hard work of Nigeria government is including national and sub national agencies, the Netherlands is honoured to work with all of you as no country, agency or organisation can fight human trafficking on its own.

“To ensure our efforts are optimal and that we go along with ever changing dynamics of human trafficking, it is crucial to take a moment and reflect and contemplate on lessons learnt and good practices,” she adds.
Presenting a synopsis of the compendium on good practices by the state task forces earlier launched, Team Lead, UNODC, Abimbola Adewumi, explained that the compensation serves as a resource repository for stakeholders’ to draw on relevant information, plan and scale up anti-human trafficking efforts in their various states.