Joseph Osuigwe Chidiebere

Joseph Osuigwe Chidiebere (born 26 June 1985) is a Nigerian anti-human trafficking advocate, educator, and social entrepreneur. He is the executive director of Devatop Centre for Africa Development, a nonprofit organization with focus on combating human trafficking, gender-based violence, providing educational supports to vulnerable children and empowering women and youth.

Joseph Osuigwe was born in Aba, Abia on 26 June 1985. From ages 9 to 14 he suffered child abuse under different homes. He is the first son of the family of two boys. He hails from Umuzeala Ogwara, Ehime Mbano in Imo State, Nigeria.

Osuigwe attended primary school in Aba South and secondary school in Ehime Mbano area, before obtaining bachelor of education in mathematics from University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2011. While at the university, he was the general course leader of mathematics, computer science, physics, and chemistry departments from 2008 to 2011. He also served as the president of Lifeline campus. In 2015, he obtained a certificate in Media and Information Literacy from Africa Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) and United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

National Youth Service Award to Joseph Osuigwe

During his National Youth Service in 2013 at women rehabilitation centre operated by Society Against Prostitution and Child Labour(SAP-CLN) in Abuja, he published and donated his book titled: Maximizing Your Brain Power…a pathway to becoming an intellectual giant” to more than 90 schools in 85 communities. When he interacted with survivors of sex trafficking at women rehabilitation centre, he was aggrieved by the rate at which young people fall victims to human trafficking. This propelled him to initiate a community project through which he trained 1900 young people to eradicate human trafficking in Abuja. He received an award by National Youth Service Corps for his community projects on education and anti-human trafficking.

Osuigwe is the founder of The Academy for Prevention of Human Trafficking and Other Related Matters (TAPHOM), a platform that uses training, research, advocacy, publication and media to prevent human trafficking in Nigeria. Through his TV show, publications, training, and community awareness, he has educated millions of Nigerians, especially young people, on how to combat and prevent human trafficking.

In September 2016, Osuigwe made an online research presentation on "Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy Training as a Tool for Equipping Young People for Advocacy and Social Action in Nigeria" at the University of Toledo International Human Trafficking Conference. Joseph Osuigwe is leading one of the greatest movements of young people against human trafficking in Nigeria.