The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has marked its 20th anniversary and recognised stakeholders who have collaborated and supported the agency over the years.
Speaking at the ceremony, Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, mentioned that over the past 20 years, the agency has been able to secure 624 convictions, with 80 convictions in 2022 and 48 convictions in 2023.
The DG also stated that due to recent and newly formed collaborations with foreign agencies, NGOS, and sister agencies, Nigeria is now better placed to fight against trafficking in persons.
She said NAPTIP has made progress in its criminal justice response with a significant increase in convictions (624 Convictions since the first conviction was secured in 2006; 80 convictions in 2022, the highest in a single year since the inception of NAPTIP; and 48 convictions and counting in 2023), including for the first time the conviction of a law enforcement officer for human trafficking offences.
“Our recent strategic partnership with Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) and the United States National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has further enhanced the capacity of NAPTIP to tackle issues of online child exploitation,”
At the ceremony, the British High Commissioner, David Morath, pledged support for the agency in its quest to combat trafficking and also to render assistance in policy building and awareness.
He said, “The commission is ready to help NAPTIP ensure that the VAPP Act is domesticated in all 36 states in the country, just as we helped setup the National Sexual Offenders Registry.”
In her goodwill message, EU ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Samuela Isopi, reiterated the organization’s commitment to helping the agency in its fight against trafficking in persons.
“The EU stands with Nigeria in its fight to combat human trafficking and will continue to provide capacity building and support to victims,” she said.
The embassy of Spain, Italy, France, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, EU, ECOWAS, UNODC, IOM, Nigerian Immigration service, and the Nigerian police force amongst many others were part of the stakeholders who were awarded and recognised by the agency.
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