By Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA—The Federal Government says it has completed the process of infusing Trafficking in Persons, TIP, issues into the basic and senior secondary curricula.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, ERDC, Prof. Ismail Junaidu, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the workshop for the Development of Teachers’ Guide for the mainstreaming of TIP into basic and secondary school curricula Monday in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

Prof. Junaidu said the infusion was done in collaboration with the   International Centre for Migration Policy Development, ICMPD, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, NAPTIP.

He explained that the burning desire to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria led the government to the idea of infusing TIP issues into the school curriculum.

‘’A draft teacher’s guide that will help in implementing the infused TIP issues has also been produced for each of the carrier subjects,” the NERDC boss said.

He stated that English Studies, Religion, Social Studies, Civic Education, Security Education, Technology, Physical Education and Health Education would be the carrier subjects for TIP in basic education level; while in senior secondary education, TIP would be infused in English Language, Civic Education, Government and Health Education.

Also in his remarks, the NERDC’s director of research Dr Eric Apeji affirmed federal government’s resolve to tackle issue of human trafficking from Nigeria through the education and awareness creation, assuring that the teaching of TIP would undoubtedly begin in September.

Eric, who attributed the increasing cases of TIP to greed, ignorance and poverty, said the Federal Government had realised the real causes and is determined to address it with the right strategy.

‘’If from the primary or secondary school, a Nigerian has been taught the evil of human trafficking she will grow up to know this and nobody can deceive her to be trafficked,/” Eric said.