CONSORTIUM PARTNERS NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT TO ERADICATE CHILD TRAFFICKING
The International Organization for Migration, IOM, alongside consortium of partners have disclosed interest to support Federal Government in fight against child trafficking and modern day slavery.
The West Africa Chief Mission of the organisation,Enira Krdzalic made this known on Saturday at the sensitization and Award Ceremony on “the Effects of Child Trafficking in Nigeria organized by the Hope-Aid Organization in Ota,Ogun State.
The Chief Mission represented by Elizabeth Poage said five states noted to be vulnerable to the menace which include;Ogun,Lagos,Oyo,Edo and Federal Capital Territory have being identified and targeted.
‘The project seeks to create an awareness on enabling environment for the prevention, protection and proper reintegration of vulnerable children and victims of Child Trafficking, Child Labour and Irregular Cross-border Migration’,she stated.
Poage added further that,other Non-Govermental Organisations partnering on the project are;International Centre for Migration Policy Development,ICMPD,and the International Labour Organization,ILO.
She explained that,one of the activities under the project is the Essay and Arts competition on “The Effect of Child Trafficking in Nigeria” for Secondary Schools Pupils in the 5 targeted states.
‘We are here this morning to present gifts to the winners of the competition in Ogun State. Similar ceremonies have been held in Abuja, Lagos and Edo States and others will follow accordingly’,Poage said.
She also explained that,the essay and arts competition was an initiative that arises from the need to broaden the knowledge and participation of Nigerian students on issues relating to child labour and trafficking in persons in Nigeria and beyond.
‘ It aims to sensitize over 3,000 children on how to respond to issues relating to irregular migration, child labour and trafficking, and obtain their perspectives on child protection and related issues they have encountered in their communities’,Paoge said.
She disclosed that,the project was jointly funded by the European Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
‘I am pleased to inform you that within the framework of this project, 15 projects are currently being implemented in 15 ECOWAS members’ states of which Nigeria is a member in partnership with Non-State-Actors and local authorities covering different thematic areas of migration management including trafficking in persons’.
She lamented that trafficking has become one of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world, and the third most profitable illegal “business” after drugs and arms trafficking generating a total of about $150 billion a year.
‘Yet only few of these traffickers are identified and prosecuted. There is however no reliable estimate of the numbers of children trafficked each year because of the clandestine nature of this criminal phenomenon’,she noted.
Earlier in her welcome address which explained the academic competion,Kemi Oluwaseye,Ogun State Representative of Hope Aid Organisation said 86 entries were submitted in both the essay and art competition and assessed by 5-man panel.
Oluwaseye who doubles as the founder of Shield the Children International Foundation said the competition was to broaden the knowledge and participation of Nigerian students on issues related to child labour and trafficking in persons in the country and across the borders.
‘The objectives of this project are to educate and involve children,and the general public on being responsive to issues related to child migration and trafficking,and to obtain children’s perspective on child protection related issues encountered in their communities’,Oluwaseye explained
Meanwhile, prizes were given to winners,which has Essay category Olusanya Temiloluwa of Redeemer High School, Camp coming 1st at the essay category and went home with HP laptop,while Akinrinola Inioluwa of D-Ivy College, Ota, came 2nd prize winner with a tablet and Miracle Elvis of The Valiant Foundation School, Sango came 3rd winning a notepad
