From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Communications Office, Hussein Adeleye, took the floor at the Vienna International Center today, with a simple message for global crime prevention experts: stop waiting for crimes to happen.
Speaking at a side event of the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, CCPCJ, Adeley argued that poverty, unemployment, and weak support systems make young Nigerians vulnerable to trafficking, cybercrime, cultism, and irregular migration long before they break the law.
The event, themed “Empowering Youth through Education for Crime Prevention and Anti-Corruption,” was organized by the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace, IAYSP.
It brought together youth leaders, civil society, academics, and UN officials, including Viktorija Nesterova of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC; Prof. Dr. Li Jing Zhu of the World Psychiatric Association; Amra Azizi of YSP Balkan; and Maha Dabirian of the Peace Designer Training program. Ejona Icka, PhD, IAYSP EUME UN Coordinator, moderated the session.
Representing the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Adeleye told the audience that “education is important, but education alone is not enough
” He said Nigeria’s experience shows that if vulnerabilities are not addressed early, young people become easy targets for criminal networks. For ANEEJ, the solution lies in building resilience before exposure, not responding after damage is done.
He supported his point with ANEEJ’s Brighter Futures Project in Edo and Bayelsa States, which reached over 1,300 vulnerable young people.
The project combined resilience training, vocational skills development, entrepreneurship support, psychosocial assistance, and community engagement to divert at-risk youth from criminal pathways.
Adeleye also highlighted ANEEJ’s anti-human trafficking work in Ologbo Community, Edo State, where vocational training and livelihood opportunities are being used to reduce the risk of trafficking and unsafe migration.
Delegates agreed on a common theme: prevention is effective but underfunded. The Vienna discussion showed how community-based models can turn theory into real impact.
Adeleye’s presentation concluded with the message ANEEJ carried to the UN: When young people have skills, opportunities, and support systems, they become less vulnerable to crime and more capable of driving positive change in their communities.
