The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has embarked on massive reorganisation of its state commands and creation of new directorates.
This is contained in a statement signed by the agency’s Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, Mrs Stella Nezan, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement said the moves were deliberate attempts to ensure maximum productivity and satisfactory service delivery by the agency.
It said that apart from the creation of additional regional directorates and state commands, the existing liaison offices had been upgraded with a view to enhancing their performances.
It quoted NAPTIP Director-General, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, as saying that this was part of her pledges on assumption of duty, to reposition the counter-trafficking agency for its mandates.
It said the NAPTIP boss had, in the last few months embarked on advocacy and networking to diver partners and stakeholders including state governors.
It added that the first phase of the reorganisation saw three directors horizontally moved from one department to the other, such as the Public Enlightenment, Investigation and Monitoring as well as Research and Programme Departments.
It said the exercise also saw the northern regional director recalled to head the Investigation Department at the headquarters, Abuja.
It said the second phase of the exercise involved the redeployment of some zonal commanders as well as elevation of some assistant directors to the position of regional directors and assistant regional directors.
“NAPTIP is a very important agency that requires the best structure in order to be able to deliver on its mandates. This is why the present management under my watch, after due consultation embarked on the ongoing reorganisation.
“There is the need to expand the frontiers of the agency and make its presence visible in all states of the federation. This informed the creation of additional state commands and more shall be created in due course.
“We have also created more regional directorates to enhance adequate supervision of the state commands and to promote synergy with partners,” the NAPTIP boss said, according to the statement.
The statement said the DG revealed that in the coming weeks, NAPTIP would also create additional departments for the ICT hub of the agency, regarded as very crucial in tracking of victims and suspects.
It said the DG added that the hub would create avenue for online and real time response and feedback mechanism as well as information dissemination.
It said she said also revealed that a dedicated and functioning Violence Against Persons and Operations Departments would also be created to ensure swift rescue of victims.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, according to the statement said her goal was to situate NAPTIP among foremost agencies of the government in Nigeria that are well structured with improved productivity and commendable performance.