President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in New York said that the
anti-corruption campaign of his administration and the economic programme
of diversification will significantly address the lack of job
opportunities and deprivation that make Nigerian youths vulnerable to
recruitment by human traffickers.
The President said this at the meeting on Modern Slavery hosted by the
Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Theresa May on the margins of the 71st
Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71), at the residence
of the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the UN.
“We are also investing more on infrastructure development, education and
health for our people. When the results of our efforts become manifest the
attraction of seeking greener pastures abroad will lesson,” he declared.
President Buhari commended the British Prime Minister for drawing the
attention of the international community to such a serious matter to
coincide with a time that the global focus is on migration and refugee
crisis.
He therefore called for practical and innovative measures “to address all
the modern day human tragedies.”
The President noted that “more worrisome is the fact that human
trafficking and modern day slavery have created a dangerous political
economy of their own. In consequence, this international criminality is
defined by the activities of human traffickers that lure unsuspecting
victims into forced labour, inhuman treatment, money laundering and
prostitution.”
He said Nigeria “is ready and willing to partner with other countries and
international organizations to confront this phenomenon. We have a strong
commitment to combating the menace of modern slavery, and will redouble
our efforts to prohibit human trafficking, while providing succour to its
hapless victims.”
President Buhari assured his audience “to count on the support of Nigeria
in dealing with this evil, which constitutes an unacceptable stain on
human dignity and conscience in the 21st century.”
On measures taken by the country against the evil practice, he said the
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and
the Nigeria Immigration Service have taken steps to establish a joint
operational Working Group to combat human trafficking and smuggling of
migrants from the country.
“We are aware of the challenge for Nigeria, but our resolve to combat it
is strong and unshakable,” the President declared.
President Buhari was accompanied to the high-level meeting by Geoffrey
Onyeama and Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd), the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs and Interior respectively.