Strengthening the capacities of state and non-state institutions to assist, support and protect victims of trafficking in Nigeria (2018 – 2020).
The project is supported by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Department of State, and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Project implementation commenced in October 2018 with the overall goal to enhance state and non-state multi-sectoral response towards combatting trafficking in persons in Nigeria.
More specifically, over 18 months the project aims at enhancing coordinated legal and other services for trafficked victims in Nigeria through capacity building, technical advice and institutional development directed to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and other relevant ministries, department and agencies of the Nigerian Government, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Affairs, National Judicial Institute, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA, who coordinate with NAPTIP on anti-trafficking efforts in Lagos).
The project will focus on Edo and Lagos States and complement and build on past and ongoing projects of UNODC, including the European Union-funded project ‘ Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria’ and the project ‘ Support and Capacity Building for NAPTIP on strengthening law enforcement response and victim support’ funded by Switzerland as well as the Japanese funded project ‘ Support to the Fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Nigeria’.
Main objectives of the project include:
To improve the skills and knowledge of state and non-state institutions to reduce and trafficking in persons in Nigeria.
To increase capacity of NAPTIP and other specialized agencies such as the National Judicial Institute, NPF, NDLEA to support trafficked victims to seek and receive access to justice.
To support NAPTIP, NPF, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service and Network of Civil Society Organizations Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour to improve partnership and coordination in the referral process for the support and protection of trafficked persons
(UNODC Media)
