The Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Binta Bello, has emphasised the importance of continuous education and teacher training in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria.
Speaking during a two day capacity building workshop held in Abeokuta, Bello said prevention through education and awareness remains more effective than dealing with the consequences after victims have already been trafficked.
Represented by the Director of Training and Manpower Development at NAPTIP, Ebele Ulasi, the DG addressed 150 selected secondary school teachers from across Ogun State.
The workshop, themed “Mainstreaming Trafficking in Persons Content Into The Revised National Curriculum,” focused on integrating anti trafficking education into basic and secondary school learning.
The programme forms part of the School Anti Trafficking Education and Empowerment Project funded by the Netherlands government and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in partnership with NAPTIP and the Ogun State Government.
Bello described teachers as critical stakeholders in protecting children from traffickers, especially at the grassroots level. According to her, many trafficking victims are school age children who should ordinarily be safe within learning environments.
She explained that the training would equip teachers with updated knowledge and practical ss to effectively teach trafficking related subjects now included in Nigeria’s revised education curriculum.
The DG also recalled that NAPTIP began collaboration with the education sector in 2014 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council to strengthen awareness in schools.
Speaking at the event, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Abayomi Arigbabu, urged teachers to actively protect students from exploitation by properly teaching anti trafficking content in classrooms.
Officials of ICMPD also encouraged participants to return to their schools as anti trafficking advocates capable of educating other teachers and students about the dangers of human trafficking.
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