By Victor Otigbu

…Inaugurate 300-Member Vanguard Clubs in 10 Pilot Schools

In a renewed effort to combat human trafficking and irregular migration, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Benin Zonal Command (covering Edo and Delta States), in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Justice and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), has launched the School Vanguard Club initiative across ten secondary schools in Delta State.

The initiative, supported by ICMPD—an international donor organization headquartered in Austria—is part of a larger strategy to raise awareness among students, teachers, and parents about the tricks and tactics used by human traffickers in today’s world.

NAPTIP has identified Edo, Delta, Enugu, Kogi, and Ogun as the most affected states based on statistical data. In Delta State, 10 schools have been selected for the pilot phase of the project, with 30 students from each school participating—totaling 300 student ambassadors.

The aim is to raise a generation of informed young people who will serve as anti-trafficking ambassadors, promoting awareness and discouraging irregular migration and all forms of human exploitation.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Asaba, Delta State capital, Barr. Sam Offia, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP Benin Zone, described the students’ induction as a significant milestone. Drawing from his wealth of experience, he urged the new ambassadors to see their role as a call to distinction. He noted that each club member was equipped with starter kits to facilitate peer-to-peer engagement in psychological, therapeutic, and mental health awareness activities—without compromise. He also assured that adult representatives would regularly visit the schools to monitor progress.

Also speaking, ICMPD Project Officer for the zone, Ms. Ijeoma David Ukoko, emphasized that trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery. She explained that human trafficking includes crimes such as child labor, domestic servitude, deprivation of basic needs, organ harvesting, and sexual exploitation of minors.

Ukoko reiterated ICMPD’s commitment to working with national agencies and NGOs to eliminate human trafficking and irregular migration, particularly in developing countries.

Among the schools selected for the pilot program are: Unity Secondary School, Asaba, Okpanam High School, Macdonald School for Persons with Special Needs, Okpanam, St. Thomas College, Ibusa, Westend Secondary School, Asaba and Osadenis Secondary School, Asaba

Stakeholders, including members of the Delta State Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking, school principals, and teachers, expressed gratitude to NAPTIP and ICMPD for bringing such timely and impactful advocacy to their students.

The ongoing initiative, part of the STEAP (Strengthening the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons) project, specifically targets youths and teenagers, equipping them with the knowledge to resist the sugar-coated promises of human traffickers. Ukoko stressed that ICMPD’s collaborative approach with government agencies and NGOs is crucial to breaking the cycle of exploitation and illegal migration.