The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has called for a victim-centred and coordinated national response to combat human trafficking and violence against persons in Nigeria.
She made the appeal at the opening of the Second Project Steering Committee Meeting of the Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons (TIPVAP) Project, held at NAPTIP headquarters in Abuja.
Bello said the meeting was convened to review progress and identify areas requiring strengthened collaboration among key stakeholders, with a view to deepening impact at both federal and state levels.
According to her, enhanced synergy among government institutions, development partners and civil society actors is critical to sustaining gains in the fight against trafficking and related abuses.
Also speaking, Victor Cramer, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Asylum and Migration and head of the visiting Dutch delegation, underscored the urgency of intensified cooperation between Nigeria and the Netherlands.
Cramer noted that recent data show Nigerian trafficking victims still account for a significant proportion of those identified in the Netherlands, with observable links between sexual exploitation and forced criminality.
He stressed the need for effective prevention, protection and prosecution strategies, implemented through coordinated action and strengthened bilateral collaboration. He added that sustained capacity-building initiatives would help reduce irregular migration and curb the risks associated with dangerous routes to Europe.
In her remarks, Ms. Isabelle Wolfsgruber, Nigeria Head of Office of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), said the TIPVAP project has significantly reduced vulnerability through structured awareness and advocacy campaigns.
She explained that the project is enhancing public understanding of human trafficking, the dangers of irregular migration and the means of identifying and avoiding exploitation.
The Second Project Steering Committee Meeting was organised by the ICMPD in partnership with NAPTIP, with support from the Ministry of Asylum and Migration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Building an Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria (TIPVAP NG) project.
The event was attended by the Dutch delegation led by Cramer, ICMPD officials, NAPTIP management led by Bello, focal persons from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, representatives of the Federal Capital Territory, and other stakeholders.
