Delta Govt, NAPTIP Partner Against Human Trafficking

Delta State government is partnering the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for residents to know the antics of traffickers and empower the victims of trafficking.

The state commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl-child Development, Miss Orode Uduaghan, disclosed this while receiving members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council in Asaba.

She equally disclosed that the state government has entered into a partnership with Junior Achievers of Nigeria (JAN), to assist in training girls in secondary schools on how to prevent being lured by traffickers with their usual antics.

On girl-child development initiatives, the commissioner announced that the state government had approved a programme to train girls between the ages of 18 and 25 in the 25 local government areas on digital literacy, entrepreneurship skills and business management to become self-sustaining individuals.

She observed that last year, the ministry, in partnership with Entrepreneurship Development Centre, empowered 250 persons in each of the local government areas, where 1,700 outstanding participants were given grants of N150,000 each, to set up their businesses.

On the humanitarian agenda of the ministry, she pointed out that under the MORE Grant Scheme, focused on business holders from poor and vulnerable households, the government has provided between N70,000 and N100,000, to 1,600 petty traders to enhance their businesses.

“Our ministry is going to partner with JAN to train girls in senior secondary levels – SS1, SS2 and SS3 – on measures to prevent trafficking and common antics deployed by traffickers to lure their victims.

“This organisation is coming to Delta State to partner with secondary schools to teach girls who are in SS2 and SS3 entrepreneurial skills. His Excellency (Governor Sheriff Oborevwori) just recently approved that, so that is going to be happening in all the 25 local government areas of the state.

“1,826 artisans engaged in various works also received support under the MORE Grant Scheme executed by the ministry. We had about 30 professions; we are talking about people who repair bicycles and those who repair fridges, among others. His Excellency (the governor) supported 1,826 of them,” she stated.

Earlier, the chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye emphasized the role of journalists as the watchdog of society, assuring that the members would assist to give adequate publicity to such activities that would discourage trafficking in persons.