The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Abuja on Monday praised the European Union for its support in the fight against human trafficking.
The general director of the agency, Mrs. Fatimah Waziri-Azi, delivered the eulogy at an awards ceremony and speeches organized by the International Ibero-American Foundation for Public Administration and Policies (FIIAPP).
FIIAPP is a Spanish public agency that implements a project in Nigeria called “Action against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (A-TIPSOM)”, aimed at eliminating human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Waziri-Azi said that the support NAPTIP had received from the EU over the years had helped the agency achieve important milestones in the fight against human trafficking.
She said that NAPTIP will always be grateful to FIIAPP for the A-TIPSOM project, adding that a collaboration like this was a reminder that partnerships can make a difference.
“Human trafficking is not just a problem, it is a crisis. Empirical evidence shows that it has become the third largest criminal enterprise worldwide and the second among transnational organized crime.
“It is a crime in which potential victims and allies are completely unaware of the dangers that await them regarding their elections. Traffickers describe it as the best option to end the cycle of poverty in a family.
“It is for these reasons that the Federal Government of Nigeria ratified all conventions on human trafficking, including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its two protocols in 2000.
“It also ratified the enactment of the 2003 Law on the application and administration of the prohibition of human trafficking, modified in 2015. The Law established NAPTIP as the specialized agency in the fight against human trafficking with procedural powers.” said.
Waziri-Azi stated that NAPTIP was stepping up its efforts by applying a 24-hour hands-on approach to all human trafficking cases, as well as prioritizing the prosecution of high-profile traffickers and improving the prevention of trafficking, through sustained measures. creation of awareness.
He said the agency is in the final stages of developing the National Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria 2022-2025 with Switzerland and technical support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that strengthen officer training.
Therefore, he called for the continued support of all stakeholders and said that everyone had a role to play and that NAPTIP would continue to expand access to justice for individuals.
For his part, the leader of the A-TIPSOM team in Nigeria, Mr. Rafael-Ríos Molina, said that his foundation will continue to support the federal government in the fight against human trafficking through A-TIPSOM, announcing that its official alliance with the government it had been extended for an additional year.
According to him, A-TIPSOM started in 2018, through an agreement between the EU and the Nigerian Government, to address human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He said FIIAPP will continue to support the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria. through the support of the EU.
Regarding the award for the speech and essay writing competition, on trafficking, the FIIAPP received a total of 300 entries, while the award went to three finalists from Reginal Pacis College, Abuja.
The winners were Chidinma Nwosu, Anayo Rosemary and Ikpeme Christabel, who finished first, second and third respectively, while others from Government High School, Wuse and Tudun Wada also received awards.
