The Universal Basic Education Programme and female trafficking in South‐South, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme on the phenomenon of female trafficking in South‐South Nigeria. To this end, six research questions were raised. These revolved around: (i) resource situation and adequacy of training provided for repatriated trafficked victims in the service provider centre; (ii) efforts in the formal education sector of the UBE to curb female trafficking; and (iii) parents and female students’ disposition toward female trafficking. The design of the study was descriptive survey. The sample was 420 female students and their parents as well as 100 teachers in the formal segment of the UBE programme and 130 repatriated trafficked victims in a service provider centre. Four sets of instruments were utilised to generate data for the study. The first was quantitative designed to elicit information on the resource situation of the service provider centre and the adequacy of the training given to the repatriated victims for employment purposes. The other instruments were qualitative and they generated information on the other foci of the study. The findings of the study were: available resources at the service provider centre for repatriated victims were inadequate; no aspect of the content of the UBE programme was targeted at the curbing of female trafficking; a majority of the female students and a few parents were well disposed toward female trafficking. The challenges experienced by the management of the trafficking service provider centre were: inadequate funding, and willingness to be re‐trafficked by repatriated trafficked victims as well as pressure from parents on trainees to be re‐trafficked. The conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that the Universal Basic Education progamme has not made significant impact on the community in the issue of female trafficking. The implication of the finding is that female trafficking will continue increasing in South‐South Nigeria unless a concerted effort is made in the UBE programme to address the issue.