by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has marked the International Day Against Human Trafficking with a “high-level stakeholders engagement.”
The event, which is aimed to strengthen collaboration and inspire community action against human trafficking, particularly child trafficking, brought together key stakeholders.
It also brought Plateau State Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking, which consists of MDAs such as NAPTIP, Gender Commission, Ministry of Justice, The Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, Nigeria Immigration, NDLEA, and NURTW, Community Stakeholders, Traditional Leaders, Mai Ungwa from different communities, Youth Leaders, Women Leaders, Religious Leaders, and Widows.
Others include Civil Society Organizations and various CSOs that participated in the event, contributing to the discussion on curtailing human trafficking.
Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Barr Olivia Dazyem, emphasized the need for community leaders to be more patriotic, vigilant, and hold their subjects accountable in the fight against human trafficking.
She also stressed the importance of border security and inter-state collaboration, in order to combat the prevalence of illegal child mobility.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Caroline Dafur, reassured the government’s commitment to ending child trafficking, and applauded the governor’s prioritization of social protection on the Plateau.
She emphasized the government’s proactive and responsive approach to addressing the plight of vulnerable individuals.
Others were goodwill messages from various stakeholders, including the Commandant of NAPTIP Plateau State, Plateau Youth Council, and traditional leaders.
The event served as a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, contribute to ongoing law reforms, and strengthen collaboration to effectively combat human trafficking and support victims.