Barely few days after she was announced as a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, the Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, has been appointed as the new chair of the board.

A statement titled ‘Press release on appointment of DG NAPTIP as new chair of UNVTF’ by Olivia Okorondu of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said Okah-Donli would be the second Nigerian to serve in the capacity, following Ms. Joy Ezeilo. Ezeilo is a former UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.

The statement described the new board chair as a global voice on trafficking in persons issues.

It added, “As NAPTIP DG, she established the NAPTIP Rapid Response Squad to counter criminal activities and pilot joint operations with Spain, the United Kingdom and law enforcement agencies in the region.

The statement quoted Okah-Donli as saying, “As I join the Board of Trustees for the next three years, I envisage an exciting future for the Fund as we seek to broaden and deepen its support and assistance to victims of trafficking all over the world in view of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this vulnerable segment of our society.”