Professor Osita Agbu
Address: Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria
Description:
Professor of International Relations, Baze Univ, Abuja, Nigeria. Focus - Tech. and Development, Governance and Democratization, Human Trafficking.
Experience, Background and Services:
I am a Professor of International Relations with specializations in Technology and Development, Governance and Democratization and have done some research on Human Trafficking which attracted my attention about two decades ago. I have focused on Human Trafficking stories in Nigeria and West Africa in the past decade. And done some work for UNODC, prior to the formation of UN-gift. Indeed, an interesting part of my intervention in this area was helping to extricate a young Nigerian Girl of 17 years, who was deceived by a family friend to seek higher education in Malaysia only to be subjected to Prostitution. This was done with the help of the Nigerian Embassy in Malaysia. However, what is important was the process of getting her out of Malaysia, as I had to deal with a myriad of actors - a Journalist Uncle of the victim who read my writing online on Human Trafficking, a Trafficking Madam who deceived the family, A pimp, Malaysian Police, Nigerian Embassy in Malaysia, NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons) in Nigeria, etc. However, an interesting dimension in recent times is the graduation of this to include illegal migrants forced into prostitution and slavery. My humble experience in this area of work is that it requires a lot of empathy and passion. In whatever shape it manifests, it is modern day slavery, and in extreme cases, torturous psychological and physical murder. Collective action is imperative as victims and perpetrators bestride several countries.
