STEAP Project Transforms 50 Benue Schools into Anti-Trafficking Prevention Hubs
The School-Based Trafficking Education and Prevention (STEAP) Project has recorded significant progress in Benue State, with 50 secondary schools now functioning as active prevention hubs against child trafficking since the initiative began in 2023.
The development was highlighted during the visit of a Netherlands delegation to the state, where stakeholders reviewed the project’s activities, achievements and community impact.
According to the project brief, STEAP in Benue demonstrates how schools can serve as powerful first lines of defence against child trafficking by equipping students, teachers and communities with the knowledge and systems needed to identify and prevent risks.
The initiative, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Okaha Women and Children Development Organization (OWACDO), adopts a holistic approach that combines prevention education, institutional linkages, community engagement and targeted infrastructure investments.
OWACDO, a civil society organisation founded in 2010 by Dr. Joy Aricha Ijuwo, is leading community-driven interventions under the project in Benue State.
Speaking in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Binta Bello described the development as positive milestone under the School Anti Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), a programme funded by the Kingdom of Netherlands and implemented by NAPTIP in partnership with International Centre for Migration Policy Development and Okaha Women and Children Development Organization (OWACDO).
The DG noted that the project would deliver measurable outcomes such as increased awareness, faster referrals, reduced incidents of recruitment and abuse, as well as stronger community ownership prevention.
According to her, NAPTIP will work with the Ministry of Education, School Authorities, PTAs and other critical stakeholders to sustain the tempo, while calling on parents and school authorities to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity or movement to relevant security agency.
In his brief speech, leader of the delegation and who is also the Deputy Director General, Ministry of Asylum and Migration, Mr Victor Cramer said human trafficking is a complete violation of human rights and all hands must come together to address the menace.
Under the school-based prevention component, anti-trafficking education has been integrated into regular school activities, with age-appropriate awareness sessions conducted for students.
The programme also established Anti-Trafficking Vanguard Clubs in participating schools, with 30 students inaugurated in each school to promote peer-to-peer awareness and vigilance.
Project coordinators said the approach focuses on empowering young people to recognise trafficking risks, resist manipulation and report suspicious situations promptly.
In the area of capacity building, more than 300 teachers, principals and Vanguard coordinators have been trained to identify early warning signs of trafficking vulnerability, provide first-line support to at-risk students and facilitate referrals to appropriate protection services.
Similarly, 315 School-Based Management Committees and community leaders have been equipped with tools to serve as trusted prevention focal points within schools and host communities.
The project noted that participating schools are increasingly functioning as credible and accessible reporting channels for children and their families.
Stakeholders explained that the strategy recognises that trafficking risks often originate at household and community levels, hence the need for broad-based awareness and ownership.
To strengthen response mechanisms, STEAP has established school-to-community referral pathways linking schools with NAPTIP, the State Anti-Trafficking Task Force, the State Ministry of Education and other protection actors.
The referral system is designed to provide practical, timely and safe support for children requiring help, positioning schools as critical nodes within the broader child protection ecosystem.
The project has also invested in gender-responsive school improvement initiatives aligned with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition principles.
These include provision of solar power supply, perimeter fencing, renovation of hostels and examination halls, as well as improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to enhance safety, dignity and learning outcomes.
Providing an overview of impact, the project reported that over 13,000 students have so far been empowered with knowledge and life skills, while participating schools have become more secure and responsive to child protection concerns.
Dr Ijuwo while receiving the NAPTIP DG and Netherlands delegation led by Mr Victor Cramer, commended the government of the Netherlands for its sustained support and empowerment in Benue State over time.
With community structures now actively involved and institutional linkages strengthened, stakeholders expressed confidence that the prevention-first model being piloted in Benue is practical, scalable and sustainable in reducing children’s exposure to trafficking risks.
