February 8th marks the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, and the feast of Saint Bakhita, the patron Saint of all those who suffer from the violence of human trafficking. According to ILO, United Nations, there are currently 49.6 million people in modern slavery worldwide, with 35% of them being children.
Recently, we spoke to Sister Augustina Offor in Nigeria about the recent Counter-Trafficking project which was carried out in collaboration with the Justice, Development and Peace Commission of Oyo State, Nigeria. The project began in 2022 and followed through until the end of 2023. Research was conducted for one year to compile a report on key issues of Human Trafficking which occur in Nigeria. Some of these identified issues, according to Sr Augustina, included an immense lack of awareness of the issue at both a local and national level. It was noted that many people didn’t know human trafficking was happening; many didn’t know where to report suspected cases; and many didn’t know the various ways that human trafficking may present. This lack of societal awareness about human trafficking motivated those involved to educate society on the issue at both a local and national level.
A programme called the “Training of Trainers” was one of the first steps taken to achieve the goal of raising awareness. This session saw twenty participants from local government trained to educate and raise awareness in their communities about the issue.
The project leaders went to radio stations in Nigeria, where informational soundbytes were aired, along with a radio drama about human trafficking. Members from the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person appeared on-air, and listeners were encouraged to phone in and join the discussion. These segments were aired weekly for thirteen weeks. They also aired on local radio stations which speak in the Yoruba dialect, to ensure that this audience was also included in the conversation.
The Counter Trafficking project also involved demonstrations of market and street rallies and widespread gatherings in the streets and raising awareness among local communities of the issue.
As part of the project, many school visits were also undertaken. Project leaders visited 53 schools, reaching 40,601 people in total including students and teachers. They also visited houses, churches and mosques, and spoke with many community and religious leaders. They made visits to the National Security and Civil Defence Corporation, the Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Justice, The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Inclusion, and the National Human Rights Commission. They also met with the Olubadan, the King of Ibadanland in Nigeria, to discuss the issue with the intention to reach more people under his jurisdiction.
A one-day conference was also held, which brought all stakeholders together for an interactive session. Over 1,000 members from local government were in attendance, who were able to make promises and personal commitments to help bring about direct societal change on this issue. Some attendees who had been trafficked in the past spoke about their experiences to show the severity of the issue from a first-hand source.
Following the completion of the project, there has been a huge expansion in awareness of Human Trafficking in Nigeria. The majority of government representatives who were involved are still actively raising awareness on the issue today. The project has seen many victims of human trafficking rescued as a direct result of this project, including both women and children.
