ICMPD anti-trafficking teacher training boosts educator capacity in Delta State, equipping them to combat human trafficking in classrooms

The ICMPD anti-trafficking teacher training has taken a crucial step forward in combating human trafficking in Nigeria’s education sector, as over 70 lecturers from three Colleges of Education in Delta State have received specialised training.

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In partnership with Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) facilitated the workshop in the Asaba cluster as part of its wider Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP).

The training was designed to arm educators with the tools to integrate anti-trafficking education into their curriculum, creating a lasting ripple effect of awareness across campuses and school communities.

Speaking at the event, Mr Sam Affiah, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP’s Benin Command, said the ICMPD anti-trafficking teacher training would enable educators to cascade their knowledge, encouraging a more informed and resilient student body.

He called for sustained political will and criminal justice reform to support the fight against trafficking.

“This will go a long way. We need to restructure our justice system and give credit to government initiatives that support this,” he said.

Project Officer Ijeoma David Ukoko, representing ICMPD in Delta, emphasised that the training—funded by the Government of the Netherlands—aims to tackle trafficking at the root by preventing vulnerability through education.

She noted the Netherlands’ involvement is not only financial but collaborative, given that it is a destination country for many trafficked victims.

The goal, she explained, is to stop the supply chain at its source by sensitising future educators who will, in turn, sensitise generations of students.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs Ijeoma Nwanze, Secretary of the Delta State Taskforce Against Trafficking, hailed the training as “impactful,” highlighting how it would empower students to identify, report, and resist trafficking risks.

Various experts presented papers during the session, including strategies for embedding anti-trafficking themes in Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) standards.

Key sessions focused on migration trends, causes and consequences of trafficking, and institutional countermeasures.

Participants praised the initiative, describing it as a transformative tool that would lead to widespread awareness and preventive action in the education sector.

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The ICMPD anti-trafficking teacher training forms part of a broader regional and international effort to halt human trafficking through proactive education, capacity building, and international collaboration.