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Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

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Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking and migration.

The Vice President made the call on Monday in Abuja at the grand finale of the 2022 UN Day Against Human Trafficking.

Represented by Mr Adéọlá Ipaye, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, stated that it was only by working together that the war against human trafficking could be won.

According to him, human trafficking is a global phenomenon and encourages everybody to rekindle their commitment so that the fight against the menace can be won.

He said that President Buhari administration had continued to deploy political will in the fight against human trafficking, saying that the drive would continue in that direction.

Osinbajo congratulated NAPTIP for the progress it had made in the fight and other stakeholders for the support it had given the agency for the feat it had achieved.

He said that the policy documents would continue to set the agenda and reverse human trafficking in order to ensure the safety of Nigeria in the Federal Government standard procedure.

“All organisations offering shelters and homes to trafficked persons must ensure people are not exploited, we will continue to scale our efforts in the areas of protection, prosecution and others.

“We can only win this fight by working together with a common vision,” Osinbajo stressed.

Earlier, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, said that the agency had recently commenced a nationwide establishment of trafficking in persons and violence against person vanguard across the 110 Federal Government Colleges.

She said that the vanguard was intended to increase the capacity of students to identify and report incidents of human trafficking and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, in and outside schools.

She stated that the idea was to raise a generation of young people empowered to advocate against these crimes and promote safe migration as an option rather than irregular migration.

According to her, we can do a lot of prevention work just by opening their eyes to the problem.

Waziri-Azi said that the theme for the 2022 UN Day Against Human Trafficking “Use and Abuse of Technology” which featured debate for and against between Baze University, Abuja and Veritas University, Abuja, was timely.

According to her, traffickers are misusing technology to drive their agenda in trafficking many young Nigerians, saying that, there is a need to change the narrative.

“Human traffickers now operate online as much as they operate offline. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the re-enforcement of the need for digital channels of communication.

“Human traffickers have also caught on to this digital transformation, there is an obvious shift from physical to virtual recruitment as traffickers have kept pace with technology, becoming proficient at using the internet for their trafficking operations.

“The theme: “Use and Abuse of Technology” for the 2022 human trafficking day. This theme focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can enable, as well as impede human trafficking.

“This theme is timely, could not have come at a better time considering the fact that at NAPTIP, we are seeing an increase in fake job advertorials and fake scholarships via social media.

“Traffickers use it to recruit and catfish unsuspecting victims,” she said.

Waziri-Azi said that NAPTIP in partnership with the US- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) will enhance tracing and diligent investigation of all cases relating to online child abuse, human trafficking and other related crimes.

She said that the partnership would also help detect persons who use social media platforms to electronically distribute pornographic materials to either blackmail or exploit victims.

According to her, the agency is currently investigating its first “sextortion“ case, adding that it has set up a cybercrime task team that is dedicated to tackling online crimes. 

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AT SENEGAL’S 65TH INDEPENDENCE DAY:Nigeria Hails Strategic Relationship As Key To West African Stability, Economic Growth

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AT SENEGAL’S 65TH INDEPENDENCE DAY:
Nigeria Hails Strategic Relationship As Key To West African Stability, Economic Growth

** Seeks deeper cooperation in trade, security, democracy

By: Our Reporter

The Nigerian government has described its relationship with Senegal as a strategic partnership built on a foundation of shared history, democratic values and economic interdependence.

This followed Vice President Kashim Shettima’s presence at Senegal’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar on Friday.

VP Shettima had represented President Bola Tinubu at the event where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal played host to guests from across Africa and beyond.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event in Dakar, Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said there were very strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and Senegal, noting that both countries achieved independence in 1960 and have maintained shared commitments to democratic governance and regional security.

Also on Nigeria’s delegation was Hon. Oluwole Oke, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“Senegal and Nigeria have very strong bilateral ties. This has been as a result of our shared history and circumstances—both countries attained independence at about the same time in 1960,” the Minister stated.

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised the need for continued collaboration in democracy, trade, and security between the two countries.

She said, “Both countries have remained committed to deepening democratic governance, values, and constitutional governance in the African continent. We have also jointly remained committed in the fight against terrorism and building strong regional institutions.”

The Minister revealed that Senegal accounts for 68.7% of Nigeria’s exports within the ECOWAS market—an indicator of Nigeria’s central role in regional trade.

“Senegal takes 68.7% exports from Nigeria within the ECOWAS market,” she disclosed, describing the statistic as a reflection of “mutually beneficial economic cooperation.”

The Minister also pointed to sustained high-level engagement, noting that “the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was in Nigeria last year to meet with our President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to talk about areas of collaboration and cooperation.”

Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed optimism about the future of the Nigeria-Senegal partnership, expressing hope that both nations will “continue deepening this economic relationship and enhance” their relationship across all sectors.

The event was attended by several foreign dignitaries, including Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow and Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani.

In his national address at the event, President Faye applauded Senegal’s democratic maturity, reaffirming his commitment to deeply transforming the country.

“Now more than ever, we must harness this driving force to correct what needs fixing and to give shape to the aspirations of our people and the hopes of our youth,” Faye said.

These reforms, he said, include optimizing local finances, ensuring budgetary transparency, rationalizing public spending, and managing debt efficiently to safeguard fiscal sustainability.

AT SENEGAL’S 65TH INDEPENDENCE DAY:
Nigeria Hails Strategic Relationship As Key To West African Stability, Economic Growth

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VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

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VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Dakar, Senegal, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations.

Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades and cultural events.

The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.

The independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond.

The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria tomorrow after the one-day event.

VP Shettima Departs Abuja For Dakar To Represent President Tinubu At Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary

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President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

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President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

  • Tasks Nigerians on constructive criticism of government actions, policies

By: Our Reporter

Wife of Nigeria’s Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, has scored the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu very high, saying the President is building a better Nigeria for Nigerians through his laudable economic policies, various empowerment initiatives and investments in key sectors of the economy.

And to help the President secure a better future for all Nigerians, the VP’s wife also encouraged the citizens not to relent in giving very useful advice to the government, urging them to be more constructive in their criticism of the administration instead of just attacking for political reasons.

Hajiya Nana Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during the annual Ramadan feast, which had in attendance women groups and students

Emphasizing the determination of the Tinubu administration to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, she said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is baking a new cake for us that are alive today, and for the Nigerian children and grandchildren that are coming behind us. It is who he is ably supported by our lovely First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.”

Hajiya Nana Shettima noted that the President means well for the people of Borno State as well as Nigerians in all parts of the country, even as she urged the citizens to always pray for President Tinubu and members of his cabinet.

“I can tell you that he (the President) means well, not only for Borno people but for the entire nation. We should not forget him and his subordinates in our prayers,” she added.

She further commended the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her contributions towards actualizing the agenda of the administration, especially through the Renewed Hope Initiative which she said has impacted many lives, including women, children and people with disabilities.

Also speaking at the event, the Director General of Maryam Babangida Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Dr Asabe Bashir, admonished women and the people of Borno State to imbibe the teachings of the just concluded Ramadan.

She also sought the people’s support and prayers for President Tinubu, thanking the President for picking his deputy from Borno State.

She said, “I always reiterate the importance of prayer because without prayers we can do nothing in life. We have just come out of Ramadan; let us imbibe that culture and lessons we received during the 29-day fast. We need to continue with the spiritual reflection.

“We should thank God and President Bola Tinubu for remembering the people of Borno State again by bringing the seat of the Vice President, not just to the North-East region but to Borno State after Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was elected along with the late Chief MKO Abiola so many years ago.

“We must continue to pray for the administration of President Bola Tinubu because if it succeeds, we succeed,” Dr Bashir added.

On his part, the Speaker, Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Tijjani Abubakar, thanked President Tinubu for his support to Nigerian youths through various youth empowerment initiatives.

Also, Dr Martins Ekunke, who spoke on behalf the South-South, Yoruba and Igbo communities residing in Borno State, commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for galvanizing support for people living with HIV/AIDS through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative.

Among those that attended the annual Sallah feast hosted by Hajiya Shettima, were the wife of the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Lawan; wife of the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Hajiya Laure Musa-Askira; female Commissioners and political appointees.

Also in attendance were women groups, members of the Borno State chapter of the Nationals Association of Nigerian Students, as well as the leaders of South-South, Igbo and Yoruba communities residing in Borno State, among others.

President Tinubu Laying Foundation For A Better Nigeria, Says Hajiya Nana Shettima

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