- Says, concerted efforts needed to arrest the menace across Africa
- To collaborate with religious leaders, schools, civil society groups, govts to battle scourge .
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Africa said over 800 girls, used for prostitution across the African continent have been rescued, rehabilitated and reintegrated to their various countries in the last two years.
NIDO Africa Continental Chairman Prof Jude Osakwe, who disclosed this during a press conference at Magodo, Lagos, to herald a campaign which would be launched in Abuja on December 20, is to raise awareness especially in Nigeria to the menace of girls trafficking not only globally, but on the African continent.
Osakwe, a research Fellow of the University of Science and Technology, Namibia, said, many of these girls are sadly trafficked by their blood relations, while for some, even their parents usually protest against attempts to get their daughters away from the hook of traffickers, because according to them, “she is doing it with their consent.”
The situation is made worse by the fact that some countries such as Senegal, have legalized prostitution, and traffickers only need to get documents that showed that the girls are 18 and above, for them to be free to engage in prostitution.
Usually, these girls who are tricked by benefactors who would offer them bright future abroad, pay for everything including their visas and passports usually ends up seizing their passports and travel documents once they get to their destination and force them into prostitution to pay back the debt, owed them in taking them out of the country.
“Some of these girls sleep with 10 to 20 men daily just to earn enough to pay back their debt and by the time they would have finished, they would be wasted and their lives would amount to nothing because many of them don’t even have requisite skills with which they could integrate fully back into the society,” he said.
He said NIDO would love to work with religious leaders in churches and mosques, secondary and tertiary institutions, states and local governments, as well as civil society groups and non-governmental Organisations in the illegal migration and trafficking in persons space, to drum attention to this scourge which is soiling the image of Nigeria, not only on the African continent but across the world.
The forthcoming campaign, scheduled to hold at the Raw Materials Research Council Pavilion, Maitama, Abuja, he said, has been tagged the “Save Our Children Campaign,” and is aimed at shedding light on the heinous crimes of trafficking and mobilize resources and support for affected individuals and communities.
“NIDO Africa understands that mere awareness is not enough and so will drive an enduring conversation of key stakeholders—including government ministries, NGOs, traditional and religious leaders, and members of the National Assembly – to initiate collaborative efforts aimed at combating human trafficking both domestically and internationally,” he said.
Besides notable speakers slated to feature at the event, other highlights of the programme includes the launching of a book on the ills of human trafficking, which according to him detailed the true life story of two victims of trafficking who were lucky to be rescued by NIDO from dehumanizing circumstances.
Other highlights includes the establishment of sustainable support structures for rescued persons, that would go beyond merely repatriating survivors and giving them pittance to go back to their homes, towns and or villages, but ensuring that these people have requisite skills to enable their smooth reintegration into the society, and the inauguration of the NIDO Africa Hall of Fame to honour individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the fight against human trafficking.
To this end, he said the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has pledged its commitment to ensuring the training of some of these victims in skills acquisition to help their full rehabilitation.
“A sustainable support structure is necessary because the emotional and economic scars left by trafficking cannot be healed simply through rescue; hence, NIDO Africa is committed to providing rehabilitative services that will empower survivors and reintegrate them into society,” he said.
The NIDO Africa Continental Chairman therefore called on all well-meaning Nigerians and members of the global community to unite in this essential fight.
“Human trafficking is an issue that affects us all, transcending borders and cultures; it demands our urgent attention and concerted action. By attending and supporting this event, participants will play a crucial role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of individuals, particularly children at risk of being trafficked,” he added.
