By James Simons
UK aid will help tackle the root causes of dangerous migration and modern slavery in Edo state, the epicentre of Nigeria’s human trafficking business.
World-class British expertise are set to reduce vulnerabilities to trafficking through targeted public information campaigns and engagement with young people at schools and universities. The extensive plan is expected to address every facet of the dangerous trafficking in Nigeria, taking into account fine details of how exploiters generally succeed it trapping their preys.
UK support to back use of former slavery victims as myth-busters, to help counter false promises that tempt people to place their lives in the hands of traffickers. UK aid plan to protect thousands of vulnerable men, women and children in Nigeria from modern slavery and unsafe migration through innovative prevention work such as public information campaigns, awareness raising at schools and universities, and new research. Victims of trafficking usually fall for promises of future pay and a better life by those enslaving them, but often fall victim to grand exploitation and sexual abuses in extreme cases.
Nigeria’s Edo State has been identified as a focal point of the human trafficking business, and is also a key source location for trafficking into the UK.
The aid package promises to help stamp out the root causes of dangerous migration through enhanced prevention work.
British expertise is to be mobilized to help reduce vulnerabilities to trafficking and unsafe migration through targeted public information campaigns in Edo State. UK government communication specialists are orchestrating a multi planned approach in partnership with the Nigerian anti-trafficking police.
Its plans include boosting engagement with young people at schools and universities to change the aspirations of potential victims.
With more useful information widely accessible, vulnerable people are expected to be more alert to the risks of falling prey to traffickers.
commission innovative research on what works to prevent dangerous migration attempts
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
It is a necessity that we step up and stamp out modern slavery for good. I am appalled that this shameful stain on our global conscience still exists in the 21st century.
I am proud UK support is driving the charge in tackling the root causes of dangerous migration to prevent vulnerable men, women and children from becoming targeted by traffickers or attempting treacherous journeys again. The benefits of this will be far reaching- preventing regional instability and helping us tackle slavery here in the UK.
Working in partnership with Edo State, a critical trafficking hotspot, this UK aid will shape scalable, cost-effective interventions that tackle the key drivers of modern slavery and unsafe migration attempts. Changing the aspirations of potential victims and migrants in a targeted and tailored way will be essential to achieving this. This is why UK government communication specialists will design and lead a new public information campaign to do just that, in partnership with the Nigerian anti-trafficking police.
By making it worthwhile for people to stay in their home states and supporting NGOs who use former slavery victims to counter false myths that tempt people towards the traffickers, this work will help eradicate these crimes for good.
The UK is at the forefront of the global fight against modern slavery, leading the global Call to Action to end this crime at the UN General Assembly last year, which over 60 countries have now signed.
In 2016 there were over 40 million estimated slavery victims and the UK is committed to eradicating this global scourge, which adds significant costs to the UK economy. Behind these numbers are real people subjected to brutal exploitation every single day.