PAINTING AS A TOOL FOR CREATING AWARENESS AND CURBING THE EVIL OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Human trafficking has become a problem in Nigeria with little or no solution to the ugly situation. Over the years, different bodies and institutions in the world including the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) in Nigeria have used diverse media to expose the inherent evil involved in human trafficking as well as proffering possible ways of curbing the crime of human trafficking. Also, in a bid to fight the crime, some institutional mechanisms were put in place to address the menace of human trafficking. The crime of human trafficking includes child soliders, sex slavery, forced-labour, illegal adoption and illegal organ transfer. The different means used have not yielded much satisfactory result in combating this great evil. As a result, this study aims at using painting to create awareness about this evil act by exposing the evil activities of the perpetrators of the crime and the effect of this dreaded act both on the individual and the society “a painting says a thousand words at a time.” The artist achieved the project by depicting the different sides of human trafficking, their activities, trauma and danger which the victims are exposed to. The study employed a qualitative research method. Paintings that comment on the evils of human trafficking were produced in the course of the research. The study reveals that paintings could be effectively used as a vehicle to mount an advocacy against human trafficking. This research calls for more studies that will address the issue of human trafficking from various viewpoints.