UK-Nigeria alliance to fight modern slavery, human trafficking

The UK is committed to intensify its overseas development to spend on trafficking and slavery to £150million. Over 50 countries have to date endorsed the call to action including Nigeria. The UK Department For International Development (DFID) and home office jointly announced new spending to tackle years of trafficking and child exploitation across the Commonwealth by supporting parliamentarians to improve national legislation, Law enforcement and criminal justice assistance and evidence gathering to identify and analyse child labour.

The British Deputy High Commissioner, Laure Beaufils, at his residence in Lagos, hosted stakeholders and representative from Edo state led by Dr Obaseki, the Governor of Edo state and delegates from the palace of Oba of Benin to celebrate UK-Nigeria cooperation against modern slavery and human trafficking.

The event also featured delegates from Federal government, civil Society, academia amongst others who launched Dr May Ikeora’s Book titled ‘Bilateral Cooperation And Human Trafficking: Eradicating modern slavery between the UK and Nigeria.

In March 2018, Nigeria worked with UK and other counterpart to arrest 89 suspected traffickers in Spain, rescued almost 40 victims. The UK is running is also running a substantial program of support, training for victims’ rehabilitation in partnership with NAPTIP and has recently delivered training to officials of Edo state Task Force.

DFID has a project operating in Delta State,now focusing more on the population most affected by this evil act; while supporting businesses by creating new aspirational livelihood to help reduce the vulnerabilities of potential victims.

Nigeria has demonstrated her commitment to arresting traffickers, caring for victims and preventing  potential victims from being drawn into the false and dangerous oaths by traffickers.

The Oba’s delegate added that the challenge has been there for over three decades, saying the the government needs to domesticate the facts cum Federal attempts to focus on advocacy, and talks on this issue and proffer solution.

Obaseki said this social vices were remoted from social failure emanated from school deterioration in the past.He appreciated the UK government and implored them to encourage legal migration across boarders while assuring Nigerians that trafficking will be history in Edo state by the end of his first term administration.

The director-general,National Agency For Prohibition Of Trafficking In Person(NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, represented by the Lagos state zonal commander,Mrs Kehinde Akomolafe, stated that the organisation is committed to the prevention of all forms of human degradation and exploitation through the coordinated use of the Nation’s crime prevention and law enforcement resources.