A cluster of civil society organisations, CSOs, under the aegis of Action Against Trafficking in Persons, AATiP, has called on the private sector to be involved in funding rehabilitation of trafficked victims.
Programmes Director of Justice Development and Peace Commission, JDPC, Mr Timothy Ejeh, who made the call at the stakeholders learning session and private sector engagement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the funding is to support the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
Ejeh noted that AATiP is targeting the implementation of the Trafficking in Persons, Prohibition, Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which allows for Reactivation of victims of Trafficking Trust Fund, VOTTF, and Improved prosecution of traffickers where assets and proceeds seized from convicted traffickers would be kept for victims’ rehabilitation.
He further noted that the trust fund can be funded by the government and also individuals and the private sector, adding that the cluster wants to elicit the support of the private sector to fund this victim of trafficking trust fund that will support the victims.
He explained that, NAPTIP spends N1.5 million every month on feeding survivors in their camps and they have lots of persons in their shelter camps, as more persons are coming into their shelter camps.
“They have also been added with the responsibility of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, VAPP, There is no budget line for that. And so NAPTIP has a lot in its hands, which has limited or insufficient funds,” he said.
According to him, poor funding of the focal government agency, NAPTIP has led to weak prosecution of traffickers and inadequate service provision for victims of trafficking in Nigeria.
He explained that the initiative, which is anchored by the JDPC of the Archdiocese of Abuja, is aimed at bolstering the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, SCALE, components 4, Countering Trafficking in Persons, projects which is is funded by the USAID through palladium.
He said the initiative comprised of six CSOs, the JDPC, Earth Spring Intl, Children Against Child Abuse CACA, Health /Justice Development and Peace Initiative, H/JDPI, Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria, FOMWAN, and CEDARSEED Foundation.
Also speaking, a member of Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria, Fatima Ahmed, said the private sector was invited to have a discussion, sensitize them and make them aware of what’s happening in the cluster.
“We’re seeking an increase in funding for NAPTIP so that they are aware of the situation and in their own way they can help because one of the ways of getting funds is getting donations from organizations and civil society, from individuals as well,” she said
