The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja urged Commissioners for Women Affairs across the Federation to leverage their positions and advocate for policies to combat human trafficking.
By Aderogba George
The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja urged Commissioners for Women Affairs across the Federation to leverage their positions and advocate for policies to combat human trafficking.
Mr Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, made this call at the 27th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum (NSCF) on human trafficking in Nigeria.
He also recommended that the commissioners advocated for budgets and programmes that would directly or indirectly address trafficking and exploitation.
The Attorney General suggested creating a dedicated budget line for state task forces on human trafficking to institutionalise their activities in the states.
Fagbemi reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Justice remained committed to supporting the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) through ongoing policy formulation, legal reforms, and high-level advocacy.
“Let me assure you that we will continue to work closely with NAPTIP and other partners to ensure that the legal and institutional frameworks for tackling trafficking remain dynamic, responsive, and effective.
“The fight against human trafficking is not just about statistics or targets it is about human dignity, freedom, justice, and national integrity,” he said.
Mr Cheikh Toure, Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), emphasised the need for all stakeholders to unite in the fight against human trafficking.
He stressed that the forum remained a cornerstone of Nigeria’s national response, providing a vital platform for sharing a common vision among federal and state actors.
Toure noted, “Policy means n
othing without turning it into action,” underscoring the importance of translating policy into tangible outcomes through cooperation between federal, state, public, private, and global actors.
Switzerland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Patrick Egloff, highlighted the global and local impacts of human trafficking, noting that it fueled exploitation and undermined national security.
He reiterated Switzerland’s commitment to Nigeria, citing their support under the “From Policy to Action” project, which strengthened the implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking 2022-2026.
“Let us continue to turn policy into action and commitment into protection for every vulnerable person across Nigeria,” Egloff said.
Earlier, NAPTIP Director-General, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, thanked stakeholders for their support since she took office in September 2024.
She said their collaboration had resulted in significant progress in combating human trafficking, including gaining the commitment of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and securing legislative backing from the House of Representatives.
Adamu-Bello said that NAPTIP remained committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and integrity in its work.
She emphasised the need to continue collective efforts to combat human trafficking, calling it a grave issue that must be minimised or eliminated.
“As a society, we have a choice: to fight together or to become enablers through our silence,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)