Nearly 100 parents and teachers have been trained in Benue State to help prevent human trafficking among school-aged children.
The one-day workshop in Gboko was organised under the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), run by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) with support from the Government of the Netherlands.
Project manager Mrs Rhoda Dia-Johnson, represented by ICMPD’s Benue desk officer Slebol Langyi, said the training aimed to equip participants with skills to detect and prevent trafficking. She noted that the project is being implemented in 250 schools across five states: Benue, Ogun, Delta, Enugu and Edo.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said parents and teachers were vital in protecting children from exploitation. “Through STEAP, we hope to curb human trafficking in the state,” said Gloria Bai, NAPTIP’s zonal commander in Benue.
Local NGO Okaha Women and Children Development Organisation (OWACDO) is implementing the project in Benue. Executive director Joy Ijuwo said 98 PTA members were drawn from 34 schools across nine local government areas.
Participants pledged to work with stakeholders to tackle trafficking in their schools and communities.
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