Cleen foundation lauds FCT shelters for victims of trafficking, calls for more safe homes in suburbs

By Abuja Reporter

Cleen Foundation, an NGO, has lauded the operations and standards of safe homes, shelters and protection services of victims and survivors of human trafficking and forced migration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mrs Ruth Olofin, the Acting Executive Director of the foundation said this on Friday in Abuja at the presentation of the findings of its “Gender Audit Report on Protection Services in the FCT”.

The findings of the report were from a project themed; “Preventing Forced Migration and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Nigeria” carried out by Cleen Foundation in partnership with UNWomen and the Government of Italy.

Olofin also lauded the high concentration of safe homes and shelters in FCT, especially within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

She, however, decried the spate of low presence of safe homes, shelters and other protection services in other area councils in the FCT.

“What we observed during the survey that brought about this report is that, the shelters are highly concentrated within AMAC.

“While the other area councils like Abaji and Kwali have less shelters to carter for the needs of victims and survivors of trafficking.

“We also observed a gender disaggregation of data at the various shelters and safe homes both in the FCT and also in Lagos and Edo state respectively where we first carried out the gender audit.

“We observed that many homes receive trafficking victims and survivors without proper documentation of gender data and so we need to bridge this gap both in the private shelters and in public entities.

“Also there is a need for proper coordination of the operations and other activities of the shelters, safe homes and protection services.

“The report has shown that many of the shelters and safe homes work on own initiatives and individual policies which are not advisable for accountability sake,” she said.

She called for the strengthening of the National Referral Mechanism as enshrined in the Acts guiding the NAPTIP, in order to enhance a unified operation of protective services.

Mrs Kehinde Akomolafe, Acting Director, Counseling and Rehabilitation Department, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), lauded the foundation’s initiative to carry out a gender audit on protection services in the FCT.

According to her, this is the first of its kind and the report contains empirical evidence and also provides areas of opportunities for interventions in relation to gender specific programming.

“There is a need for collaborative interventions with various enforcement agencies to boost and promote more proactive response on gender sensitive service delivery in our safe homes.

“NAPTIP has the mandate to ensure the rescue, rehabilitation and integration of victims and survivors of human trafficking and forced migration and it will continue to uphold this mandate to provide safe heavens,” she said.

Mrs Imabong Ladipo-Sanusi, the Executive Director of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, also commended Cleen foundation and its partners on the successful completion of its survey and presentation of its gender audit report.

Ladipo-Sanusi called for more partnership by the foundation with other NGOs, Civil Societies Organisation (CSOs) and government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

“Partnership cannot be overemphasised for a course like this, because it is the number one strength to curb trafficking and forced migration in Nigeria.

“Therefore, Cleen foundation should seek more partnership with other stakeholders, especially government stakeholders both in the mainstream and off the mainstream.

“Also there is need for more inclusiveness in all aspects of protection services for victims and survivors of human trafficking,” she said.

She also called for more stakeholders’ engagement and consultation as well as periodic review of the gender audit reports and validation.

The “Preventing Forced Migration and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Nigeria” project was conceived in April 2020 with aim to enable a gender-sensitive policy environment.

The project seeks to support and strengthen the gender responsiveness of intervention agencies such as NAPTIP and other relevant government agencies.

The gender audit report and assessment of protection facilities offering services for trafficked victims in the FCT was conducted from August to September.