Trafficking of Nigerian girls to Côte d’Ivoire is giving me sleepless nights – Envoy

Ambassador Martin Adamu is the Nigerian Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire. In this exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, he speaks about the increased trend of human trafficking by Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire, how his host country buy crude oil from Nigeria and sells to Nigeria the refined products, among others. Excerpt: How long have […]

Ambassador Martin Adamu is the Nigerian Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire. In this exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, he speaks about the increased trend of human trafficking by Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire, how his host country buy crude oil from Nigeria and sells to Nigeria the refined products, among others. Excerpt:

How long have you been in Côte d’Ivoire?

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I’ve been here for nine months; I was part of the last group of ambassadors that were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. I arrived on this mission between April and May last year. 

Were you an ambassador in any of the African countries before being appointed here?

This is my first time being appointed as an ambassador. I’m a career ambassador; I served in other countries but not in the capacity of an ambassador. I was in Mozambique, from there I was posted to N’djamena, Chad, where I served as a counsellor, and then returned to Nigeria in 2017. 

Having been to a few African countries, how receptive do you find the people of Côte d’Ivoire? 

I really have positive things to say about Côte d’Ivoire because from the moment I arrived here, I felt so welcome, not only by the host here but the Nigerian community. I made it a point of duty that that relationship shall be nurtured and remain as cordial as possible.

The host government has always been so helpful, and I have noticed that they have warm feelings towards Nigerians and the Nigerian government. I think Côte d’Ivoire is welcoming to all nationalities, not just Nigerians. That is the positive thing I would like to underscore. 

What is the level of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire?

We have very cordial relations. We cooperate at various international and multinational levels. At the African Union (AU), at the United Nations and especially at the ECOWAS level.

Bilaterally, we have a very long-standing relationship; our mission here was opened in 1963, and since then, we’ve maintained representations at the highest level, except for the few moments, due to administration reasons when we were not able to have an ambassador here. 

But, generally, at the highest level, our presidents, Muhammadu Buhari and Alhassan Quattara, have a camaraderie and when I did present my letter to President Quattara, he did ask me to convey his personal greetings to Mr President.

In terms of trade relations, what is the level so far? 

In October last year, we had the second session of the Nigeria- Côte d’Ivoire binational commission, which was essentially to strengthen our bilateral relations with Côte d’Ivoire. And, the major part of it was focused on economic relations and the private sector involvement was highlighted, and we have representation of key economic groups from both countries.

The idea was to encourage more formal economic cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire, as it stands, statistics are very difficult to come by because the trade is mostly informal. You have Nigerians here who go to Nigeria and bring things here, and you also have a lot of Nigerians who are into auto parts and other trades but because it’s not documented, it’s not easy to get a good idea of the total figure. 

Côte d’Ivoire imports Nigeria’s crude oil, and in turn sells the refined products to Nigeria. You see, that is a bit ironic.  

To what volume are they buying and selling the oil from and Nigeria?

I don’t have the figure, but it’s substantial because Sahara Energy which is a Nigerian firm is also represented here. I think either 20 – 25 stake in this refining process. So, it’s not a totally Ivorian concern, it speaks of Nigerian partnership.  

With the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, analysts have expressed concern over the price and availability of fuel, do you think Nigeria can depend on Côte d’Ivoire?

There is no indication that we are going to be disappointed at any point by Côte d’Ivoire. Mind you, Côte d’Ivoire is not the only place we are buying petroleum products from, so there’s diversification. 

I mean, can Côte d’Ivoire supply enough fuel that can match Nigerian consumption?

Like I said, I don’t have the statistics but our market is our market. We have the largest market, that is why it’s profitable for them to have this kind of symbiotic relationship. 

What are goods/products being traded between the two countries?

Côte d’Ivoire is increasing its export of cocoa and coffee because that is what they have as their mainstay. But on my part, we also have a growing industry of cocoa, we may not have coffee in commercial quantities, so I’m not so eager to say that we open the Nigerian market for Ivorian cocoa.

Afterall, the only thing now in terms of commodities that is linking us is oil, but the more we diversify, the more we are going to look for a market for our own product. I think as an ambassador of Nigeria, my assignment should be to define and look for a market for Nigeria not to be making Nigeria the market for other people. So, it should always be a give and take. 

What bilateral agreement have you signed with the Ivorian government?

I did mention that last year, we had the second edition of the Nigeria- Côte d’Ivoire binational commission. At that occasion, there were thirteen agreements signed in different spheres – economic, political, cultural events, and youth and sports. MoUs have been signed. 

In terms of cultural relations, what is the level so far? 

We have cultural affinity with Côte d’Ivoire. I had the opportunity of visiting the hinterland. I visited some traditional towns and I was marveled at the similarities in the cultures of the two countries. And, I think it’s not just between Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, it’s among West African countries generally.

So, these so-called borders are artificial, and I always use that opportunity to impress upon my audience about the cultural affinity and similarities that we have in West Africa. It underscores the point that these divisions are unnecessary. Once you look beyond them, we begin to see similarities in ourselves. 

What is your high point in Côte d’Ivoire?

I don’t think I can answer that question, because it’s everything: the assignment, the job, the functions are multifaceted. So, I’m dealing with Nigerians in the diaspora, I’m dealing with the diplomatic community, I’m dealing with the host government and I’m also trying to increase Nigeria’s interest in Côte d’Ivoire. As far as I’m concerned, they are all equally interesting and they will all be highpoints for me. 

Are there any negative sides you would like to share with us?

The issue of human trafficking is what is giving me sleepless nights. On a weekly basis, we received girls trafficked from Nigeria. 

We always try to repatriate them but you see that is not part of our brief, so the funding is not commensurate with the demands of repatriation. 

What’s the statistics of Nigerian girls trafficked so far?

I cannot give you the number now. But last year, with the assistance of OIM, we were able to repatriate 43 girls in the last 3 months.

Right now, we are working on how we can try to repatriate one girl that has been sleeping on the street for over seven days. We are trying to see how we can repatriate her home and get assistance for her.

Also, the Nigerian community here is very helpful in this direction, they contribute money towards repatriation, housing them and helping towards getting them off the street.

What are you doing to arrest the situation?

For me, the solution or something that will help us to achieve our objective is to identify these traffickers and enjoin policy towards bringing them to justice. For now, they are unfortunately so connected that it’s difficult to prosecute them, even when they are identified. This is one direction that we want to give an impetus to.

What is the gender of these people being trafficked, and what are they into?

Ninety nine percent are women. In fact, I have not seen any male brought to the embassy as a trafficked person. 

Also, 99 percent of those brought here is about prostitution.

Have you taken any measures at the embassy level?

For now, we’ve engaged with the host authorities towards identifying the traffickers and also working with NAPTIP back home. 

Even recently, today as a matter of fact, we have been directed by our headquarters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja to pursue the prosecution of traffickers identified to have been behind the trafficking of two girls that were repatriated in December last year. 

We are engaging with the host authorities here, and have been getting very positive outcome. 

What do you want people in Nigeria to know about Côte d’Ivoire?

It’s a beautiful tourist destination, a very serene environment, and is a place one can visit for holidays. There are direct flights three days of the week from Abuja and seven days a week from Lagos, so the access is also quite easy.

It’s a place you can visit if you want to take a break from living in Nigeria for few days or a week.