WAPA strengthens partnership with NAPTIP to curb human trafficking in Lagos

·        To Train 12 Survivors on Skills Acquisition Programme
 
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, has reiterated her Ministry’s commitment to the eradication of human trafficking and all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the State, through a strengthened partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
 
Mrs. Dada disclosed this during a courtesy visit to her office by a delegation led by Mrs. Comfort Modupe Agboko, the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, assuring that the State Government is determined to sensitise the citizenry against all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, especially on issues associated with human trafficking.
 
She said: “The Ministry has designed various means to disseminate adequate information on all forms of human trafficking amongst the populace. One of such was a workshop organised for 150 participants in February 2022 with a view to dialogue on ways to curb the societal ill”.
 
Granting the request of the Agency to enroll 12 survivors of human trafficking into WAPA’s one-year Skills Acquisition Training programmes, the Commissioner offered that the trainees attend any of the centres across the five divisions of Lagos State, free of charge.
 
“Poverty, being a direct focus that often prompts trafficking, should be well addressed. Our target, therefore, as a Poverty Alleviation Ministry, is to proffer strategies which include various empowerment programmes that would equip survivors of such heinous crime to become advocates in curbing associated ills of human trafficking”, the Commissioner asserted. 
 
In her remarks, the NAPTIP Zonal Commander, Mrs. Modupe Agboko, applauded the giant strides and sustained efforts by WAPA in advocating strategies on ways to effectively curb the antics and dubious means associated with human trafficking in Lagos State.
 
Her words: “Familiarisation visits as this, give an opportunity to restrategise on initiatives and plans to reduce the human trafficking menace through the creation of wealth and job opportunities that would enhance financial independence among women”. 
 
“The training programmes which you offer at your vocational centres will certainly help to set the ball of financial stability rolling amongst our women. I must implore you to embark on an aggressive sensitisation of the public, particularly the female gender, on this plan”.
 
The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the compendium, a compilation of activities on WAPA, to the delegation led by Mrs. Comfort Agboko.