Edo government to train victims of human trafficking

The Edo state government has set up different training programmes for victims of human trafficking and also encourage those willing to go back to school, the Secretary to the State’s Human Trafficking Taskforce, Mrs. Abieyuwa Oyemwense has disclosed. 

Speaking while receiving returnee migrants in Benin City, hinted that the trainees would also be paid stipends for three months.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Godwin Obaseki is also embarking on soliciting support of the international community for the sustenance of the training project.

He said: “We are spending a lot to reintegrate these young people into the society and we anticipate that the expenses would be more in the nearest future. We solicited support from the European Union, the Italian government as well as other countries affected by this menace to be able to sustain the structures we have set up in the state.

“All parties affected by the menace of human trafficking, both the countries of origin and the destination countries stand to benefit from the system we have set up in Edo State to engage these youths, which would give them no reason to contemplate migrating illegally. So, we want to strengthen these structures in Edo State to make staying back and working gainfully the preferred choice.”

The governor has also approved N150million and 100 hectare of land to be made available for a crop of Libya returnees, who had undergone skills acquisition training on agriculture in Benin City under the Benin Owena River Basin Authority and the State Agricultural Development Project.

Meanwhile, the state’s N200 billion Industrial Park will generate about 170,000 direct jobs, the state governor, Godwin Obaseki has said. 

The governor expressed that Park, which is located at Iyanomo in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the State, was the first in series of parks his administration would build to transform the state into an industrial hub of the nation. 
  
He explained that the Park would encourage small and medium enterprises as well as expand the industrial base of the state to include agricultural processing, data services and manufacturing.

He said the siting of the Park few kilometres to the gas field was deliberate and a strategic move to ensure it utilises gas from the fields for its industrial activities.

His words: “The Park is expected to create over 170,000 direct and indirect jobs and will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector. To achieve this, we are setting up job incubation centres to be located within the Industrial Park.

“We want to create several job incubation centres/hubs, where job seekers would be trained and employed by the companies that will be located in the several industrial parks. At the completion of the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area Industrial Park, it will house over 200 companies on a 600-hectare land.”

Obaseki hinted that the Edo State government has also commenced the design of an industrial park and incubation centre on the premises of the Benin Technical College, which will house technology and data companies.