As part of efforts to fight human trafficking in Nigeria, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in collaboration with Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria commenced training for media partners.

The training came up following the need to ensure accurate reporting of issues of trafficking.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri, stated this in Delta State, at the 3-day Training and Capacity Development on Standard Reporting Template for Members of the Trafficking in Persons Media Corps and Officers of Press and Public relations Unit.

In her opening remarks, she affirmed that there was a need for media personnel to understand how to report the news of human trafficking and irregular migration.

According to her, an improved working relationship between the media and the Agency is crucial for the protection of victims of human trafficking and ensuring that their voices are heard.

She expressed optimism that at the end of the training, the media would give prominence to the issues of trafficking and handle them as criminal offences.

According to her, the issue of trafficking must be strategically addressed due to its clandestine nature, saying within Nigeria, there are accounts of a higher percentage of trafficking as compared to trafficking outside the country and more searchlights must be shone on it to tackle the issue of internal trafficking.

In her words, it is expected that at the end of the training, the media would be better informed on the emerging tricks, routes and trends in human trafficking.
On the achievement of the Agency over the years, Waziri noted that NAPTIP has rescued about eighteen thousand trafficked victims and assisted in convicting five hundred and sixteen offenders of human trafficking in Nigeria.
She enjoined Nigerians to join NAPTIP in the fight against human trafficking by dialing the short code “627” to report any case of human trafficking or child labour.

The Director-General spoke through Director of Public Enlightenment, Josiah Emerole.

On the objectives of the training, the representative of the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria, A-TIPSOM Nigeria, Joseph Sanwo, emphasised the need for journalists to know how best to report the issues of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.
It is reported that no fewer than 40.3 million victims are currently trapped in different forms of human trafficking across the globe with Nigerians accounting for a greater number.
The training is in partnership with Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria (A-TIPSOM NIGERIA).
A-TIPSOM NIGERIA is a Spanish project founded by European Union to fight human trafficking.
The training exercise focused on developing standard reporting templates for members of the trafficking in Persons media corps and officers of press and public relations Unit.
He added that the project was equally committed to supporting the Federal Government to expand the knowledge of its core reporters
According to him, the project incorporated four institutions – NAPTIP, Nigerian Immigration Service, Non-Governmental Organisation and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) – to achieve its mandate.
Sanwo stressed that the project would work toward ensuring that all mediums used by human traffickers used in attracting the vulnerables are blocked.
Among other participants in the training are officials from Federal Road Safety Corps, Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour and the NSCDC.