The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have called for more collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking in Nigeria.

They made the call during the official handover of the Countering Human Trafficking Office in Lagos.

NAPTIP director-general Fatima Waziri-Azi said the project was crucial because Lagos had always been a transit and destination for internal and external trafficking.

She, however, commended the efforts of the LNSA and the Lagos State Task Force on Human Trafficking, saying they had been instrumental over the years in sharing good intel with NAPTIP.

This, she said, had led to the interception and rescuing of victims, potential victims, and the arrest of perpetrators of human trafficking and emphasised the need to strengthen awareness and education efforts.

Lagos’ attorney general Lawal Pedro said the project marked a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

Mr Pedro, the chairperson of the Lagos State Task Force on Human Trafficking, said the collaborative effort was aimed at creating an enabling environment that enhanced rescue, referral and reporting between NAPTIP, the task force and LNSA.

“The establishment of this office facilitates easier reporting, creating a platform for both victims and non-victims to come forward with crucial information,” he said.

Danilo Campisi, deputy country representative for UNODC, said the organisation had supported different levels of intervention for various states’ task forces on human trafficking.

The intervention includes capacity building, provision of office equipment for STFs with existing offices, and the creation of trafficking in persons’ offices on the premises of LNSA.

The general manager of LNSA, Ifalade Oyekan, thanked donors and partners for making the establishment of the office a reality and a milestone in the agency’s history. He said the partnership with NAPTIP was birthed two years ago to strengthen the agency’s operations in the area of human trafficking.

U.S. consul general Will Stevens said the establishment of the office was critical in strengthening Nigeria’s response to human trafficking.

“By consolidating our efforts and expertise, we are here to create the best framework that will not only address the needs of victims but also prevent future trafficking.

“As we inaugurate this office, we renew our commitment to collaborate, share information and continue to improve our efforts,” he said.

(NAN)