By Nse Anthony-Uko
ABUJA, (Sundiata Post) — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the National Agency for the prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), a partnership that will see the duo making extensive use of available technology to tackle human trafficking.
This was disclosed by the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, when he received a high-powered delegation led by the Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the delegation, Danbatta said the commission will seek ways to encourage service providers to render assistance in rehabilitating victims of human trafficking, he advised the agency to collaborate with telecom agencies and leverage on the use of free SMS to create awareness on the effects of human trafficking, calling to mind its stand on unsolicited text message and tasked them to make effective use of ICT.
He restated the commission’s commitment to collaborate with the agency in line with its eight point agenda on strategic partnership and co-operation with other agencies adding that efforts are in place to complete emergency numbers, and that the toll free line 622 will help citizens lodge complains, even as he revealed that plans are underway to facilitate the building and equipping Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to bridge the communication gap between the distressed and emergency response agencies in the country.
Earlier, Okah-Donli while soliciting for the NCC’s cooperation in stopping human trafficking in Nigeria said the telecom industry regulator should help in monitoring, through technology, those behind trafficking within the country and abroad.
She said the NCC should help appeal to the telecom operators to contribute to a Fund, which will help in drive war against trafficking.