Some survivors of human trafficking received empowerment kits from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Lagos Command on Friday to start tailoring, hairdressing, pedicure and makeup businesses.
Presenting the kits, NAPTIP Lagos Command Zonal Commander Comfort Agboko congratulated the recipients and asked them to put the start-up kits to good use to build a financial foundation for themselves.
He stressed the need for survivors to become financially independent so they wouldn’t fall victim to traffickers’ lures, and asked them not to sell kits to meet immediate needs.
Agboko called on Nigerians to desist from irregular migration routes, as this makes them vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers.
He also denounced the practice of parents allowing their children to travel as unaccompanied minors, making them easy prey for kidnappers and people smugglers.
The NAPTIP Zonal Commander stated that the empowerment program is part of Director General Dr. Fátima Waziri-Azi’s drive to ensure sustainable evidence-based rehabilitation, reintegration and empowerment programs for survivors.
Items featured include: tailoring machines and accessories, hair dryers and accessories, mirrors, generator, and one survivor received a cash empowerment of N295,000.
Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the lucky 13, one of the survivors thanked God for helping them escape the terrible situations their traffickers and exploiters had subjected them to.
He described irregular migration as a death trap to be avoided and thanked NAPTIP for the opportunity to start his own little vocation.