United States President, Barrack Obama has named a Nigerian-American journalist and Anti-human Trafficking advocate, Bukola Love Oriola as a member of the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
In a statement by the office of the Press Secretary, White House on December 16, Obama said he was honoured that Oriola and ten others appointed to serve on the council have decided to serve the country.
“They bring their years of experience and expertise to this Administration, and I look forward to working with them,” Obama stated.
According to White House statement, Oriola, has served as an independent consultant, speaker, and author on human trafficking issues since 2009.
She founded The Entian Story in 2013, a non-profit organization which advocates for survivors of human trafficking and domestic abuse after her personal experience when she relocated to the US from Nigeria.
“In 2009, Ms. Oriola published her book Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim and began producing Imprisoned Show. Ms. Oriola has owned and managed Bukola Braiding and Beauty Supply since 2007. She was a reporter and researcher for Century Media Limited in Lagos, Nigeria from 2003 to 2005. Ms. Oriola received an A.S. from The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo.”
She began her journalism career in Nigeria in 2000 at Common Interest Communications, Publishers of the defunct National Interest Newspapers and later joined the defunct New Age Newspaper.
In 2005, Oriola won the Cadbury National Award for Education Reporters and is a fellow of the International Institute for Journalism, Germany.
Responding to her appointment, Oriola who was in Nigeria in September on sensitization campaign against human trafficking, said she was grateful and humbled.
“Please join in thanking God on my behalf. I regard the appointment as an opportunity to do more than I have been doing in advocating against Human Trafficking in the United States and in other parts of the world.”
Oriola was also a victim of Human Trafficking, In 2005, she went to the United States from Nigeria on a two-month work permit in order to cover a New York City meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, she married a U S citizen who subjugated her to a life of unfree labour, confiscating all of her earnings. She was imprisoned in his home for two years.
