Edo hosts anti-trafficking training for educators

The School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP) yesterday launched a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Edo State to combat human trafficking through education.

Speaking at the event, Dr Mojisola Sodeinde, ICMPD Head of Region, highlighted the importance of equipping teacher-trainers with the tools to address human trafficking in Nigerian schools.

Represented by Rhoda Dia-Johnson, Sodeinde highlighted that trafficking remains a significant issue, particularly in West Africa, where minors are disproportionately affected.

The STEAP initiative, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, is a collaborative effort with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the State Ministry of Education. It aims to integrate anti-trafficking content into the school curriculum across Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu, and Ogun States.

Sodeinde noted that since 2019, ICMPD and NAPTIP have been working with the National Commission for Colleges of Education to include trafficking concepts in teacher education standards. To date, 500 teacher-trainers across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones have been trained to implement this curriculum.

The current ToT workshop will span three days, training 150 educators from public and private colleges in Benue, Enugu, Delta, Ogun, and Edo States. This effort aims to create widespread local impact.

NAPTIP’s Director-General, BintaAdamu Bello, represented by Mr Josiah Emerole, underscored the importance of integrating anti-trafficking education into teacher training.

He said, “By embedding these critical concepts into education, we are building a sustainable defence to protect future generations from trafficking.”