The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has announced that plans to establish a microfinance scheme for human trafficking survivors are in the works.
Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi, the agency's Director-General, announced this to reporters at the agency's headquarters in Abuja on Thursday while detailing her mission for the agency.
Waziri-news Azi's conference was her first since the President, Major General Muhamadu Buhari (retd. ), appointed her on September 8, 2021.
The microfinance project is the third of four strategic priority areas for the agency, which will allow it to carry out its 24-hour, all-hands-on-deck approach to ensuring that the proceeds of human traffickers' illicit acts are forfeited for the benefit of the true owners: the victims.
MSME funding shared facilities, and innovation hubs will be part of the "Sustainable and Evidence-Based Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Empowerment Programs for Survivors of Human Trafficking," according to her.
She also stated that the organization would increase survivors' access to education, income-generating, and microfinance in order to help them integrate into society in the long run.
"The first strategic aim is to increase the number of high-profile traffickers convicted and the number of cases of sexual and gender-based violence prosecuted.
"The second strategic priority is to improve the prevention of human trafficking by increasing and consistent awareness creation and sensitization, especially at the subnational level, to educate people about human trafficking, its violence, and what drives it, as well as issues of sexual and gender-based violence."
"Sustainable and evidence-based rehabilitation, reintegration, and empowerment initiatives for human trafficking survivors are the third strategic focus. The agency's and its partners' visibility will be the fourth strategic priority. This will entail a greater level of engagement with the media as well as the expansion of our reporting outlets," she stated.
Survivors will have access to current Federal Government efforts such as Micro and Medium Scale Enterprise grants, shared facilities, and innovation hubs, according to the third priority.
She stated that the four priority areas would be met "in accordance with the agency's 5Ps strategies; policy, prevention, protection, and promotion."
Waziri-Azi also stated that the agency would intensify the prosecution of incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, noting that the organization has recorded 487 convictions since 2003.
The NAPTIP director also stated that the agency will not just go after high-profile traffickers, but will also work with partners and traffickers' destination nations to retrieve and repatriate all of their illicit assets.
She stated that this would be accomplished by proactive and diligent inquiry and prosecution.
NAPTIP will work with the court to educate judges on how to best administer justice in human trafficking cases, improve witness protection mechanisms, and encourage victims and witnesses to testify, according to Waziri-Azi.
She also stated that the agency would continue to enforce the 2015 Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and strengthen the capability of investigators, prosecutors, intelligent officers, and caretakers.
