Officers of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) were on Friday tasked on effective communication strategies to reduce human trafficking problem in the society.
An anti-trafficking expert, Mrs Lily Oguejiofor, gave the charge at the closing of a two-day workshop organised by the International Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP).
FIIAPP is a Spanish public organisation working on a project here in Nigeria tagged: Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria (A-TIPSOM), a project aimed at reducing the menace.
Oguejiofor, an expert in identification, protection and prevention of trafficking children stressed on the importance of communication in addressing trafficking challenge
She took the officers, drawn from NAPTIP offices across the country, through the six lectures of power point alongside her media partner, Mr Akinola Ayomikun.
Oguejiofor said that it was important for public enlightenment personnel of NAPTIP to improve their public relation skills as this would save the organisation from avoidable public enlightenment expenses.
She said that a Federal Government agency like NAPTIP needed to partner with government own print and electronic media to get a good bargaining working relationship especially on projecting the activities of traffickers to the general public.
“Appointment of goodwill ambassador, who are willing to drive the vision and the mission of the agency can help to achieve desired result in communication strategies.
“There are different communication strategies. Each of them is targeted and administered on specific audience at an auspicious time and place.
“Different audience requires a particular strategy that is specific and sometimes peculiar to the audience example of such is sign language.
“Therefore, there must be a careful choice of strategies to drive a choice agenda to a reasonable and rewarding conclusion,’’ she stressed.
According to her, strategies in communications are carefully designed, planned, and implemented to achieve a determine goal else, any mistake or deviation from the impended result would be counterproductive to the original intention.
Oguejiofor explained that media advocacy centers on shaping the public debate about issues such as human trafficking and it involved working with news staff of media outfit.
She said that communication had always been part and parcel of humanity right from the inception of creation, and that they are always tools to drive a purpose, noting that, communication remain the constant tool.
She added that communication had continued to witness innovations and advancement in forms, texture and complexity as a result of advancement of civilization and technology.
According to her, the kind of tools available at a particular time determines the frequency; complexity and speed of communication, and that these factors account for effectiveness of different techniques and strategies in communication.
Oguejiofo, therefore, called on the officers to make use the best communication strategies to communicate the evil act of trafficking and traffickers to the public.