CHAPTER ONE

                                            INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

 Child trafficking is an ugly fact of our society that is prevalent even today. Child trafficking is a world-wide problematic issue. Over the years, it has metamorphose into frig teeming growth rate, having reached its peak and without showing sign of reduction in parts of Africa, Eastern, Europe, the Caribbean’s and Latin American countries. It is crucial to note that the increase on the cases of child trafficking in Nigeria is due to the undaunted efforts of the operators and profiteers of the business who are quick to cite unprecedented poverty and the near absence of the basic necessities of life as their driving force.

Child trafficking has brought poor reputation in the state. Our major economic problem is child trafficking. since we began on the path of nationhood or society. The main obstacle for striding bodily on this path has been the child trafficking problem because of unemployment. As a result of this, there has been for the past few years’ steady drift away of young men into other countries. This has the chain result of our society being left under populated or underdeveloped.

 Secondly, Nigeria has been bedeviled by myriad of problem most of the problems can be attributed to the pervasiveness of some of the ills that hamper the attainment of the development of the society. As a result of ills that currently hampers the development of the country, child trafficking has become widespread and now occupied a preeminent position among the ills that pervade the Nigeria society. The international labor organization (ILO) recently estimated that over 12 million Nigerian children especially in Edo State are engaged in child labor. The survey also estimated that over 10, 000 Nigerian are engaged in prostitution in Italy which constitutes in the Italian sex market. Most of these women and girls are initially trafficked victims many people especially women and children are lured with the promise of good jobs and salaries and then sold into prostitution or bonded labour. Child trafficking is considered to be modern day slavery where many children and women are force fully or fraudulently recruited, transported and harbored for sexual or labour exploitation. The victims of child trafficking are usually made to provide sex under threat and without consent. However, they are also used as labors to work in field and fisheries, sweep shops or as domestic helps. Thirdly, child trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world with the total annual revenue for trafficking in persons, not less than two hundred and fifty thousand persons, mostly female (i.e. 60% persons ranging from 12 years-18 years, while 40% persons above 18 years are trafficked across the Nigerian borders yearly especially in Oredo, Edo State and other part of Edo State. the business of trafficking in child beings is today organized by groups that are also involved in weapons and narcotics colluding with government officials in dozen countries. There is very little doubt that it is in curative business and maybe one of the most difficult to combat. They are less visible than those caused by gun running and trafficking. Exploiting the poverty and low status of women in the developing world, middle men are able to bring together the supply and demand for cheap labour and sex in ways that linkable not long ago. Though, the fact of child trafficking is not difficult to understand on its own, its dimension and categorization continue to multiply by the day. The educational curriculum might have over sighted this problem, therefore no room was created for this social ills the subjects that deals on moral that is Christian religious knowledge and the Islamic religious knowledge are gradually phasing out as teacher that staunched these courses are not being employed by some employers social studies which exposes our children to the vices and virtues in the society is only studied in the junior secondary classes. So students cannot but cope with the make believe life of affluence, flamboyances, greed which has made people especially the female trafficking a huge success in our society.           

       Child trafficking is the illegal commerce and trade of people. It is essentially the facet of slavery which relies on direct purchase in contrast to the “natural increase” from enslaving the children of slaves. The United Nations (UN) defines “trafficking in persons” as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring ort receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion of abduction of fraud of deceptions, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments achieve the consent of a person, having control over another person’s for the purpose of exploitation.  

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM        

       This study as a worldwide problem, frightens the growth rate of our economy, reducing lives of people in the world it has also brought poor reputation to the state. Because of unemployment child trafficking has increased particularly in Nigeria, they have gone in search for money which has led the state to be underdeveloped. The research is designed to view the immediate causes and effect of child trafficking in Nigeria. Because people had fail to recognize the effect if would bring to the country.

 The researcher hope that this project work would assist the society both at home and in school to reduce child trafficking and more also the problem which the researcher intend to look into are as follows:

1.  What are the effects of child trafficking among the youth in Nigeria?

2.  What are the causes of child trafficking on the teenagers, adult etc in Nigeria?

3.  How does child trafficking affect the nation?

4.  What are the effect of child trafficking on the standard of living of the youth in Nigeria?

5.  What are the possible difficulties that the society encounters in child trafficking in Nigeria?     

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

 The ultimate goal of this study includes;

1.  To look at the origin and development of child trafficking in Nigeria 2.  To examine the effects of child trafficking in Nigeria?

3.  To examine the causes of child trafficking in Nigeria?

4.  To proffer solution to the effects and causes of child trafficking in Nigeria?

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

In order to find solutions to the problems raised earlier, the following research question were raised by the researcher.

i)             What is the relationship between poverty and child trafficking?

ii)           Does peer influence positively promote child trafficking?

iii)          What is the position of cultural traditions on child trafficking?

iv)          What is the position of legal framework on child trafficking?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great importance, as it will provide necessary information on the causes, effects and remedies to child trafficking in Nigeria. This study would be relevant to every parent in the development of Nigeria children which affect every home directly or indirectly. Therefore studying and analyzing the press coverage on issues of children is sine qua non to the overall development of Nigeria because it would serve as an insight into the conditions in which our children find themselves today and a guide for preparing them for meaningful contribution to development of the society. The findings will advance the frontier of knowledge in the field of mass communication and serve as a repository of knowledge and also contribute to the available literature in the field of mass communication. Also, it will help National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIP), Government and other Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to assess how far the press has covered issues bothering on child trafficking. Finally, it will serve as a reference material for future researchers on the topic.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

       The scope of the study is centered on the causes and effects of child trafficking in Nigeria. Solution to the problems of child trafficking will also be sought in the cause of this research. However the research has some constraints which are;

Time: the time at the disposal of the researcher which is allocated for the study was a major limitation as the researcher has to combine other academic work with the study.

Finance: The finance at the disposal of the researcher in the course of the study does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Human: Having to do with mankind as opposed to God or animals of persons having the qualities feelings.

Trafficking: Movement of people along road and streets, of an aircraft in the sky, a transport business done by a railway, steamship line etc trading and commerce.

Slavery: The act of being a slave or condition of being sold into country.

Illegal: Against the law

Profiteer: One who makes large profits unfairly.

Madams: persons involved in trafficking and also force them into prostitutions abroad.

Trolleys: Persons involved in trafficking.

Sex chattels: Personal, object for sexual exploitation.

Business: This is an activity with economic significance under taken with primary purpose of creating customers.

Harboring: A place of shelter for ships

Fraud: Dishonest dealing, one who pretends to be other than he is.

Exploitation: The act of making use of selfishly.

Poverty: The state of being poor.

Prostitution: This is the act in which a woman offers the use of her body for sexual intercourse to anyone who will pay for this.

Drugs: Substance used for medical purpose, either alone or in a mixture.

Abuse: Wrong use of something, like drugs.

Bond: Agreement or engagement that a person is bound to observe, especially one that has force in law, document signed and sealed, containing such an agreement, enter into with somebody.

1.8 Organization of the study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion and also recommendations made of the study.

 

---