VOCATIONAL TRAINING & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A Legacy of
Livelihoods
A Legacy of Courage and Commitment
What is SEYP? Anti-Trafficking NGO in Benin City, Nigeria
The Society for the Empowerment of Young Persons (SEYP) is a Nigerian non-governmental organization founded in 2004 in Benin City, Edo State. SEYP works to prevent human trafficking and irregular migration by providing emergency shelter, psychosocial care, vocational training, and entrepreneurship programs to vulnerable youth, trafficking survivors, and persons with disabilities in Nigeria. Edo State is Nigeria’s primary source state for outbound human trafficking. Vulnerable young lives leave through the Sahara and the Mediterranean, chasing empty promises that too often end in abuse or death.
"We committed ourselves not to the comfort of distant advocacy, but to the hard, unglamorous, transformative work of sitting with survivors and building livelihoods before the traffickers did."
In 2021, our founding Executive Director, Mrs. Jennifer Ero, led the establishment of an Adire textile and indigo dye production center in Auchi. Though she passed away suddenly before its launch, her daughter, Victoria Omo-Ero, stepped in as Executive Director, initiating SEYP's most prolific period of growth, collaborating with global agencies like GIZ, IOM, and the EU.
The Cycle of Outbound Trafficking
Human Trafficking Crisis in Edo State, Nigeria
Edo State carries one of the heaviest burdens of irregular migration and outbound trafficking in all of West Africa. SEYP works at the crossroads of crisis, intercepting the cycle before it begins, and providing complete safety nets for survivors.
The Vulnerability
Severe economic stagnation, lack of opportunities, and predatory network recruiters exploit young, hopeful school leavers, forcing them towards risky ventures.
The Perilous Route
Young men and women embark across the Sahara Desert and through Libya, facing severe exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening conditions at the Mediterranean Sea.
The Invisible Wounds
Survivors who return carry deep psychological and physical trauma. Standard programs lack the patient, intensive care required for reintegration.
To Empower & Restore
To empower vulnerable young persons and communities in Nigeria through protection, prevention, skills development, and reintegration support — enabling them to live with dignity, opportunity, and resilience.
A Future of Independence
A Nigeria where no young person is trafficked, displaced, or left without the tools to build a sustainable livelihood.
What We Do — Four Pillars of Work
SEYP Programs: Protection, Prevention, Empowerment, Education
Through an integrated, multi-state delivery system, SEYP combines direct protection with strategic prevention, vocational empowerment, and schooling.
Protection
- Emergency shelter for survivors and vulnerable families
- Medical care and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
- Family tracing for unaccompanied minors
- Safeguarding and child protection protocols
- Accommodation, feeding, tutoring, and documentation support
Prevention
- Anti-trafficking peer education clubs in secondary schools
- Community sensitization campaigns (markets, barracks, institutions)
- Mass media outreach — 6-month radio campaign reaching 1.5 million listeners
- Road walks, school visits, and institutional outreach
- Advocacy with government ministries and traditional leaders
Empowerment
- ICSS and SIYB entrepreneurship training for returnees, PWDs, and youth
- IOM Business Vocational Skills (BVS) training
- Financial literacy for IDPs, market women, and PWDs
- Business coaching, mentorship, and aftercare
- Micro-grant disbursement for trafficking survivors
- NABTEB vocational certification
Education
- SEA-Hub entrepreneurship clubs in 16 secondary schools
- Training of Trainers (ToT) for partner NGOs
- Educational support and tutoring for children of returnees
- NABTEB certification integration into vocational programmes
- Life skills and value reorientation curriculum in schools
Proven Records of Transformation
SEYP Impact Statistics and Key Results
Our growth reflects concrete outcomes. From single workshops in Benin City to structured partnerships across multiple states, SEYP changes lives directly and creates vast ripple effects in households.
Entrepreneurs Trained
Empowered via ICSS, SIYB, and BVS systems, enabling sustainable livelihood alternatives.
Adire Specialists
Women trained at the Auchi Indigo textile production center, funded by the Swiss Embassy.
SEA-Hub Schools
Entrepreneurship clubs in 16 secondary schools engaging 627+ students across Edo State.
Community Reached
Reached through EU-ACT cascading education and anti-trafficking peer networks.
Stories of Resilience
The true measure of SEYP is written in the lives of the people who walk through our doors.
Empowering Leadership
Led by Omo-Ero Victoria Osasenaga, SEYP is driven by a passionate network of social workers, certified trainers, and investigators. Victoria combines structured project delivery models with a creative perspective as an accomplished mandala artist, guiding SEYP's national development footprint.
Our Collaborative Partners
Latest Updates & Insights
news
#SEYP 2025: A Year of Impact, Partnership & Empowerment
The Socio-Economic Youth Empowerment Initiative (SEYP) had a transformative year in 2025, marked by strategic partnerships and impactful programs. Here’s a snapshot of our achievements: Strengthening Mental Health & Psychosocial Support – Trained staff in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) – Supported 13 female survivors in safe houses/shelters with mental health training – […]
Joining Forces to Empower Female Survivors of Human Trafficking in Edo State
On April 25, 2025, the Society for the Empowerment of Young Persons (SEYP) took a bold step in the fight against human trafficking by hosting a stakeholders’ engagement meeting in Benin City, Edo State. Supported by the Resilience Fund and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the event brought together key players in the […]
Renovation of the Society for Empowerment of Young Persons Transit Shelter
On November 25, 2024, the Society for Empowerment of Young Persons Transit Shelter celebrated a remarkable milestone by unveiling its newly renovated facilities. This significant transformation, made possible by the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), marks a renewed commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for vulnerable children and individuals in […]
Support the Mission to Empower
Trafficking and irregular migration remain endemic. But we can build alternative paths of hope. Participate in SEYP’s journey through donations, volunteering, or organization sponsorships.