
In an bid to intensify efforts in combating human trafficking across schools in Ogun State, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), has trained school principals and coordinators of Anti-Trafficking Vanguard Clubs.
The two-day capacity building workshop held in Abeokuta was aimed at equipping educators with the knowledge, tools and strategies to identify and prevent human trafficking in schools.
In her opening remarks, the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project Manger of ICMPD, Rhoda Dia-Johnson, stressed that human trafficking is a serious problem that affects millions of people globally, with children and young people being the most vulnerable.
Dia-Johnson lamented the menace and harped on the importance of empowering young school children to become informed, protected, and proactive citizens.
She said, “The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) launched Sensitisation and Capacity Building Training for school principals and coordinators of Anti-Trafficking Vanguard Clubs by NAPTIP under the STEAP project.
“As principals and Vanguard coordinators, you are not just educators, you are frontline defenders of children’s rights. You are custodians of safe learning environments where signs of exploitation can be identified, where trust can be nurtured, and where children find the support they need to speak up.”
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Education, Abayomi Arigbabu, reiterated that schools continue to be the first line of defence, adding that they are not just places for education but also places where values, identity and resilience are fostered.
Arigbabu, represented by the director of education support service, Akinola Okereafo, revealed that the state government has started incorporating Psychosocial Support Frameworks and Safe School Child Protection Policies into its educational system.
Meanwhile, the Director General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Bello, posited that Ogun is one of the endemic states when it comes to human trafficking.
Bello, represented by Director Research and Program Development, NAPTIP, Mr. Josiah Emerole, urged the state government to contribute more to the fight by creating and enforcing laws to prevent human trafficking, particularly in border regions.
NAPTIP, ICMPD engage school principals, others in combatting human trafficking