FIC Report (Enugu State) – The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has intensified efforts to combat human trafficking and violence against persons through community sensitisation and advocacy engagements.
The renewed campaign is taking place under the TIPVAP Project (Building an Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria) and the STEAP Project.
The initiative was being implemented through a four-day Joint Community Sensitisation and Advocacy Outreach on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Violence Against Persons (VAP).
Speaking during the dialogue meeting on Tuesday in Enugu, the NAPTIP Director General, M.S Binta Bello, said the agency was adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to address the growing menace.
Bello, represented by the Director of Research and Programme Development, Mr Josiah Emerole, noted that both human trafficking and violence occur more in rural communities, thus making grassroots participation critical to prevention efforts.
Emerole said the agency was partnering with traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society organisations, women and youth groups to develop a formidable blueprint to tackle the crimes.
According to him, the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) with funding support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
He disclosed that Enugu was selected as the only state in the South-East geopolitical zone to host the dialogue, underscoring the strategic importance of community involvement in the fight against trafficking and violence.
In his remarks, the Project Manager of the TIPVAP Project, Mr Matthias Esene, said the project was designed to build resilience among vulnerable populations and strengthen protection systems across Nigeria.
The Project manager said the project seeks to enhance community-level responses by actively involving traditional institutions, religious bodies, civil society organisations, women groups and youth associations.
Esene explained that the project consists of TIP, which focuses on awareness creation among students, and the VAP component aimed at addressing trafficking and violence against persons within communities.
Also, the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu, emphasised the need to protect and empower women and girls, stressing that understanding the factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking is key to preventing the crime.
The royal father urged communities to embrace self-help initiatives and take ownership of efforts to safeguard residents, rather than relying solely on external support.
Bonaventure Ngwu, HOC, FIC Enugu
(24/06/2026).
