In a strategic move to curb human trafficking among school-aged children, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has organized a capacity-building and awareness training workshop for principals and teachers from selected secondary schools across Edo State.
The initiative, held under the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project, brought together educators from 50 schools, including public, private, and special needs institutions, with the aim of equipping them to recognize and respond to signs of trafficking.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of NAPTIP’s Director General, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, the Director of Research and Programme Development, Mr. Josiah Emerole, emphasized the importance of schools in the agency’s prevention strategy.
“The fight against human trafficking begins with awareness,” Mr. Emerole said. “Teachers and principals are in a strategic position to identify red flags and protect vulnerable students from falling into the hands of traffickers. This workshop is designed to empower them with the knowledge and tools needed to do just that.”
Also speaking at the event, Ms. Monica Zanette, Head of the Pan-Africa Region at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), called on educators to act as frontline defenders of children’s rights.
Represented by Project Manager Amarachi Chike-Jerry, Ms. Zanette noted that trafficking remains a persistent threat in communities across the country.
“Children continue to be targeted by traffickers,” she said. “Schools are where children spend most of their formative years, and they must become safe spaces. This training is critical to building a strong, interconnected network of protection that begins in the classroom and extends to every part of society.”
In his remarks, Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, represented by Mr. Abdulkadiri Ikoghode, Director of School Support Services, expressed the state government’s support for the project and its openness to partnerships that help address trafficking.
“We welcome the establishment of anti-trafficking clubs in schools across Edo. It will go a long way in educating our students about the dangers of irregular migration and trafficking to unknown destinations,” he said.
The project is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by ICMPD in collaboration with NAPTIP.