Over 700 trafficked children raises concern for child protection

At least 708 children, comprising 458 boys and 250 girls, were trafficked and were in forced labour in 2014, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, prompting calls for a national plan for children. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which is part of the West Africa Network for Protection […]

At least 708 children, comprising 458 boys and 250 girls, were trafficked and were in forced labour in 2014, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, prompting calls for a national plan for children.
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which is part of the West Africa Network for Protection of Children on the Move (WAN) said only 275 perpetrators of child exploitation, have been convicted between 2004 and 2015.
Speaking at an international meeting of WAN in Abuja, Ali Madugu, assistant director of social welfare in the ministry, said the vulnerabilities of children on the move in Nigeria has not taken its proper place in the scheme of child protection interventions among families, child care providers and in the priorities of governments.
In presenting Nigeria’s case, developed in conjunction with the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Madugu said children on the move were easy recruits for military conscription, drug addiction, uncensored internet access, child pornography, child trafficking and child labour.
He stated that data on the actual number of children on the move -fleeing man-made disasters, natural disasters, poverty, child trafficking, cultural and religious norms, economic and political instability – was difficult because they are invisible, making it difficult to connect their origin with their destination.
Director, Girl Power Initiative, a Benin-based organisation, Grace Osakwe, said children leave their homes as a result of lack of protection from family members or guardians, access to education, basic health care and are often victims of traffickers who exploit them for their bodies or labour.