The Federal Capital Territory Social Development Secretariat (SDS) says it has trained over 452 commercial sex workers on various skills to discourage them from prostitution.
Mrs Hadiza Kabir, the SDS Secretary, disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
“We were able to achieve this due to regular clampdown on some red-light zones and arrest of commercial sex workers.
“The regular raid helps the secretariat rescue young women from the shackles of drugs and other forms of criminalities.
“We trained them and provided them with meaningful means of livelihoods.
“With the trainings and skills acquired by the rehabilitated sex workers, they are expected to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),’’ she said.
Kabir said that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu have scaled up actions to develop a socially and environmentally friendly Capital City.
The secretary said that the administration was also committed to develop a capital city that was devoid of moral bankruptcy.
She revealed that the secretariat spent N24 million on apprehending, evacuating, rehabilitation of beggars, hawkers, mentally unstable/impaired person.
Kabir said that the money was used to repatriate them to their states of origin in the first half of 2021.
She also said that the secretariat during the period under review carried out rehabilitation of the downtrodden, referred some cases to states liaison offices, hospitals, orphanages, police and immigration.
Similarly, the secretary said that the secretariat through its Department of Gender rescued several abandoned children and assigned them to orphanages for custody.
“We reconciled families while some rehabilitation of FCT Unity Children’s Home and the Correctional Centre at Gwako are ongoing.
“We also ensure the monitoring and streamlining of orphanages across FCT to meet up global standards and carried out campaigns against Gender Based Violence and Substance abuse.
“The secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June, between FCTA Tourism and Centre for International Safe Food Practices in the hospitality industries to boost the sector.
“The administration will continue in its sensitisation of the public on the dangers of beggars, hawkers and mentally unstable people roaming the streets of Abuja.”
