Women Affairs Ministry, NAPTIP Reach Agreement On Rehabilitation Of Human Trafficking Victims

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has finalised plans to collaborate with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on the long-term rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking.

The Ministry and NAPTIP will work together to rehabilitate ten Nigerian girls who were recently rescued from human trafficking in Ghana.

This partnership was one of the outcomes of the visit of the Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, to the Headquarters of NAPTIP on Monday, a visit which followed viral reports of the trafficking of some Nigerian girls to Ghana for sexual exploitation.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, thanked the Minister for the visit and her support for the sustained fight against human trafficking, adding that the agency has been very proactive, strategic, and deliberate in carrying out its mandates, which led to the conviction of 29 human traffickers from January 2024 to date, 67 traffickers in 2023, 80 in 2022, and a total of 670 human trafficking convictions.

Waziri-Azi continued, “Even though the government plays an important role in combating human trafficking, communities and families play an even greater role in addressing these issues.
“Concerning the girls in Ghana, we are in contact with the Ghana Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. The girls have been rescued and are now safe.
“The perpetrator has been apprehended, and I am also in contact with Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). I am very pleased with the Honourable Minister’s visit this morning.

“Based on our conversation, we will approach this issue more strategically, in terms of prevention. “Prevention is better than cure.”

She also stated, “I want to emphasise to parents and young people that there is no free lunch anywhere; if it is free, you are unquestionably the product. We understand that everyone wants a better life, but that does not mean you can not be discerning. When someone approaches you and offers you Eldorado, please ask questions.

Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development praised NAPTIP for its visible impact in combating human trafficking in Nigeria and promised to collaborate with the agency to continue rehabilitating victims of human trafficking through the Ministry’s existing empowerment scheme.

The Minister stated, “I came here to see my sister about the issue of Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana.” We will collaborate with NAPTIP to empower them, teach them skills, and send them to school.”

The Minister also announced plans to launch a massive advocacy campaign among a wide range of stakeholders, including commercial transport operators, the aviation and marine sectors, and a cross-section of parents across the country, adding that parents and transport operators would be held accountable if found guilty of child trafficking.

She did, however, ask for all Nigerians’ support and cooperation in addressing the country’s human trafficking issues.