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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Project Manager of Expertise France, Nigeria, Mr. Benjamin Eneanya, has commended the European Union (EU) for its sustained support, collaboration and coordination with Federal Government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in the fight against human trafficking and irregular migration in Nigeria.
The commendation came just as he disclosed that Expertise France had embarked on a massive awareness campaign targeting some endemic communities within Nigeria, on the dangers of human trafficking among other notable interventions.
Eneanya gave the commendation in Abuja at an event to mark the 2022 EU anti-trafficking day celebration organized by the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM) implemented by FIIAPP with support from the EU.
The Expertise France Project Manager who was one of the special guests described trafficking in persons as a great concern to the world as victims are sold as mere products and thereafter subjected to most despicable forms of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, labour, domestic servitude, and organ harvesting:, hence the need for combined efforts to halt the ugly phenomenon.
Eneanya said: “The EU has been at forefront in combatting human trafficking by providing financial and technical assistance to countries especially in the sub-saharan region. In Nigeria, the EU has rendered assistance to the government through various international organisations.”
He commended the EU and other stakeholders for their efforts in the protection of citizens of Nigeria, stressing that the battle against trafficking in persons can only be won through collaborative efforts from all stakeholders.
Eneanya recalled that in 2019, Expertise France obtained special funding from the EU and France for the implementation of the regional project to support the fight against trafficking in persons in six gulf of Guinea countries for a period of four years (2019-2023).
“The aim of the project was to support the six partner countries (Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, and Nigeria) in strengthening their actions and capacities for a targeted and effective fight against human trafficking.
“The project focuses on four components, namely (i) institutional, operational and preventive action consolidation, (ii) law enforcement, (iii) victim protection, and (iv) regional cooperation.
“The Project has supported Federal Government in strengthening capacity, technical and human, to effectively combat human trafficking in the country. This has been achieved through the upgrade of NAPTIP monitoring centre to a world-class standard, support to NAPTIP for Toll-free IVR and USSD on short code *627# and 627CRM for quick reporting of cases of TIP, provision of computers to NAPTIP frontex desk officer to support their operations as well as upgrade of IT Software–Advance Research Engine System (ARES) which replaced SIDDA.net to expand access to LEAs and NAPTIP Zonal commands, among several other interventions.”
