Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti State Government has renewed its commitment to combating human trafficking, femicide and gender-based violence, declaring that all stakeholders must move beyond legislation and advocacy to concerted action aimed at preventing violations and protecting vulnerable members of society.
The government made the commitment in Ado-Ekiti at a Stakeholders’ Summit on Human Trafficking, Femicide and Gender-Based Violence organised by Restoration for All Inc. in collaboration with the Africa Foundation for Economic Growth and Empowerment (AFEGE).
The summit, themed: “From Silence to Safety: Uniting Against Human Trafficking, Femicide & Gender-Based Violence,” brought together government officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to deliberate on practical measures for tackling the growing menace.
The Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji described the summit as timely, noting that the prevalence of gender-based violence globally required collective action from government, communities and other relevant actors.
The First Lady, represented by State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Olapeju Babafemi said the gathering provided an opportunity for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and ensure that Ekiti residents, particularly women, children and young people, could live and thrive without fear of exploitation or violence.
According to her, the stories of young people being trafficked through dangerous routes, including across deserts, in search of better opportunities underscored the urgent need for stronger interventions against human trafficking.
She added that the summit should serve as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable citizens and prevent the exploitation of young people.
She said, “This summit is very apt. This is a time that globally we have all forms of gender-based violence, and the convener has been able to draw stakeholders together.
“We have made up our minds to ensure that all stakeholders and actors synergise and fight all forms of gender-based violence headlong, particularly human trafficking”.
The convener of the Summit and founder of Restoration for All Inc., Dr Tolulope Monisola Ola, said the summit was designed to promote collaborative efforts towards tackling human trafficking, gender-based violence and femicide.
Ola explained that the strategy being adopted was based on priority areas developed during a meeting in Palermo, Italy, in October 2025, with emphasis on building partnerships, mobilising funding and implementing interventions based on proven best practices.
She said bringing the initiative to Ekiti State was deliberate, stressing that the state had played an important role in her life and that she considered the intervention a way of giving back to the state.
According to her, the organisation also sought to complement the efforts of the Ekiti State Government and the First Lady, while supporting community-based and faith-based organisations in areas where interventions were needed.
She urged members of the public to take responsibility for confronting abuses in their communities, stressing that tackling the problems could not be left to government or any single organisation.
“We want to implement intervention that would, if not end human trafficking, gender-based violence or femicide, reduce them considerably by the time we come back next year.
“My advice to the public is for us, just like they have been saying in the summit room, when you see something, say something. This is not one man’s problem. It is a collective intervention that we want to do, and we expect everyone to play an active role,” she said.
Also speaking, the Ekiti State Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, said the state had made significant progress in protecting women and children through legislation and practical interventions.
She noted that Ekiti was among the early states to enact laws aimed at protecting women and children, but stressed that legislation alone could not end the menace.
Olomojobi said the state had moved beyond lawmaking to providing support systems, including a transit centre for survivors of abuse and other forms of violence.
She said the summit was important because it brought partners together to combine experiences and develop strategies aimed at preventing violence before it occurred.
According to her, society must stop placing the burden of addressing abuse solely on victims and survivors after violations had occurred, saying prevention required active community mobilisation and awareness.
Olomojobi described the issue as both a human rights and development concern, insisting that every member of society had a responsibility to ensure that human beings were treated with dignity and respect.
She called for the involvement of religious leaders, traditional rulers, public and private institutions and other sectors of society in efforts to prevent human trafficking, femicide and gender-based violence.
The Chairman of Ado Ekiti Local Government, Bosun Osaloni, also described the summit as a welcome development, condemning gender-based violence and human trafficking, particularly the exploitation of young people under the guise of seeking economic opportunities abroad.
He urged families and communities to protect women and children from abuse and exploitation, stressing that women deserved respect and a safe environment in their homes and communities.
He also appealed to Nigerians to reconsider the practice of sending young people abroad through unsafe or exploitative arrangements, noting that many victims were exposed to severe hardship and abuse in the process.
