Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the “Impact of Ekiti Radio campaign against human
trafficking in Ido community of Ido-Osi Local government area. The study made use of survey
research method. The study answered three research questions. From the research findings, it
was observed that the programmes aired on Ekiti Radio helps in discouraging the practice of
human trafficking. Survey research method was used because of its convenience, while Chisquare formular was used to test the formulated hypothesis. The study recommend that the
government should embark on putting effort to ending human trafficking especially among
women and children.
1.1 Background of the Study
Crime has become one of the greatest obstacles to the better realization of democratic
governance and the much acclaimed millennium development goals (MDGs) in Nigeria.
The country is being bedeviled by all forms of crime, which range from simple acts of
thefts, burglary and verbal assault to serious acts of robbery, economic and financial crime ethnic
and religious disturbance “cultism and sexual harassment in institutions of learning youths
restiveness and trafficking of human beings. All the segments of the population in Nigeria,
including the elites and the youths, at one point or another commit these criminal acts. Both rural
and urban cities have suffered from these undesirable activities the degree of the crime rate has
gone far beyond the tolerance limit of the safety and has consequently attained disturbing
dimensions to the extent that social economic and political activities are seriously attached,
given this situation academic government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well
as the international community have sought an understanding of the various dimension of the
phenomenon including its level manifestation causes and implications for all segment of the
societies.
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These efforts have been with the singular desire of devising appropriate strategies
towards the effective management of the problems, however, this study has focused on the effect
of communication on trafficking in human commodities.
In some selected states in Nigeria, its aim was to measure the problems of human
trafficking in terms of the attributes of the rectums, the pattern of human flow, and the casual
factors. The specific objectives were to discovers the socio-economic attributes of victims of
human trafficking determines the pattern of flow establish the underlying factors, and make
appropriate recommendation towards curbing human trafficking in Nigeria.
In 1995, as at the time of the belging conference the issue of human trafficking was not
regarded as an issue of concern for Africans it was a problem considered as the Asian and Latin
American people the unfolding events since the almost ten years that human trafficking is rife in
the countries has been found to be source, transit and destination country for the crime of human
trafficking.
In West African, the incident of human trafficking in women and children were dated as
far back as the 1960s. However, the significant public recognition and focus on issue only come
since the mid 70s. Although there are no exact figures and data on the number of trafficking
victims, there are indicators to show that the trend is assuming an alarming rate in the subregions. One of such indicators is the growing population of women and children particularly
children in the West African city centre and European countries as a result of urban migration
and illegal trans-border migration with exploitative labor.
The challenges of searching for a sustainable solution to the menace of human trafficking
and child labor led to the decisions by the Ekiti-State broadcasting services to commission this
as part of their programmes.
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Records show that over 400,000 children work in Benin and approximately 625,000
children from cote D’ ivoire are in labor. Most of the children are under the ages of 15 years.
According to research carried out, it has found that a large percentage of these children in labor
are trafficked victim. The violence are spelled out sanction against those who engage in slavery
and laid down procedure for victims restitution. The daily champion of 12 July, 2002 reported
than 80% of foreign prostitution in Italy were Nigerian women.
Nigerian was categorized in tier 2 of the trafficking in persons country list for 2001
compelled by the United State government and the transparency international. The tier lists states
that do not meet minimum standards of combating human trafficking, but are making efforts to
do so.
1.2 Statement of Research Problem
Human trafficking as one of the various forms of crime that have of recent become a disturbing
trend to both the Nigeria government and various communities. The phenomenon of human
trafficking is universal and has been practiced in forms in different parts of the worlds Okogie et
al (2004) observes that the phenomenon is a multibillion dollar business because of the level of
involvement of organized criminal gangs. It has also been adjudged the fastest growing category
of organized crime and the third largest profit making business outside of drugs and arms deals.
One of the problem of human trafficking is loss of population/reduction, human
trafficking causes loss of population because those involve does not know the risk of been into
such act, and at the same time such risk may lead to loss of life.
People are also dehumanized because of the involvement in human trafficking, image of
people are been ridiculed and tarnished just be cause of money.
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Human trafficking regarded as a crime against making, because people who are been
trafficked don’t even know their right. It also brings about loss of trust amongst people involved
in such act.
The problem observed before choosing this topic is that human trafficking. Mostly
children and women has become a global business that affected almost all countries and reaps
enormous profits for traffickers and their criminal intermediaries.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to measure the magnitude, pattern and identify the causes of human
trafficking in Nigeria, and also to know the impact of communication on this harmful behavior
practices.
(1) To identify the causes of human trafficking
(2) To make recommendations on how to eliminate human trafficking in Nigeria
(3) To provide demographic information on victims and their experiences.
(4) To know the level of effectiveness that communication has brought about concerning
human trafficking.
1.4 Research Question
(1) Are the victims of human trafficking aware of the risk associated with the act?
(2) Is poverty the major cause of human trafficking
(3) Do these campaign help to reduce the rate of human trafficking.
1.5 Research Hypothesis
1. Hi Victims of human trafficking are aware of the risk associated with the act.
Ho Victims of human trafficking are not aware of the risk associated with the act.
2. H2 Poverty is the major cause of human trafficking
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Ho Poverty is not the major cause of human trafficking
3. H3 Campaign can help to reduce the rate of human trafficking
Ho Campaign cannot help to reduce the rate of human trafficking
1.6 Significance of the study
The study when completed will be of important to the media, women and children and
the government community of information and communication.
The Media
Most media outfits in Nigeria are in the business for the profit, they derive form publishing and
broadcasting and adverts are gradually beginning to occupy the space and our time meant for
other important writes up and programmes. The media could help in reducing the rate at which
human trafficking is growing in our country today they could help inform and educate people
both in urban and rural areas of the effect of human trafficking and disadvantages and how tit
could destroy lives.
Finally, the media can and should run campaigns and adverts against human trafficking
so that it could be brought to the knowledge of everyone about the harmful effect of this
practices.
Women and Children
As enticing and tempting as the premises made to victims could be women and children should
under no circumstances be lured into believing what they art being told about helping to train
them in school because it’s a huge form of deceit and a trap, and is very harmful, morally
socially and otherwise.
Government Ministry of Information and Communication
The ministry of information and communication should be able to ensure that the media
disseminate information to the public on how harmful human trafficking is, and also letting them
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know how their story is told so as not to be able to deceive the less privileges into realizing their
children to this derailed individuals who master trade is human trafficking.
.
1.7 Scope of the study
The interest of the study is finding out what extent the Nigerian communication system has
helped in the fight globally to put an end to human trafficking especially in Nigeria both in rural
and urban area.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
During the course of putting this project together, I encountered so many restraints, such
as logistics, which is the practical plan to make this work a bit hectic. In the sense that combining
school work and other activities with writing the projects was not an easy task.
Another methodological problem was the difficulty in getting victims to interview, this
was especially the case with those who were already settled, in fact a few of them who had
already settled down to responsible family did not want to be reminded of what one reffered to as
“the dark” chapter of life”. Even those of them who agreed to be interviewed felt quite so reticent
as to fail to be opened about sordid as past of their experiences either in Nigeria or abroad,
consequently they did not disclose all that was required of them.
1.9 Operational Definition
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Trafficking: The illegal movement of people of Ido Community of Ido-Osi local government
area to republic of Benin by people trading on human beings from January to June 2014.
Campaign: All the messages packaged on Ekiti radio to convince people of Ido-Osi to stop the
illicit trade of human trafficking.
Impact: The feelings of Ekiti people after receiving the radio campaign messages on why they
should stop human trafficking in their community.